Who doesn’t love hot wings? They’re one of America’s favorite finger foods and are the signature dish at many restaurants from greasy spoon bar and grills to high-class white tablecloth steakhouses. If you’re in the food service business, you probably know that the most efficient way to cook wings is in bulk. Let’s say you’ve made a big batch that haven’t been ordered, or you want to have some ready for to-go customers. This is where a Hot Wing Bar comes in. Let’s look at some of the many ways these cases can be configured, and how they work their magic!

How Do Hot Wing Bars Work?

The trick with a Hot Wing Bar is to keep the food at a safe-to-eat temperature that doesn’t dry out the chicken to quickly, causing it to toughen and lose flavor. You also need to be sure that the surface is a safe temperature. People will expect it to be a little warm to the touch, but the last thing you want to do is burn your customers!

This is why hot wing bars are so impressive, by using a combination of hot plates and heat lamps, hot wing bars can keep chicken warm, tasty, and safe for hours. When combined with proper packaging, they can last even longer and work perfectly for takeout.

Islands

There are three basic types of hot food cases that can be used as a hot wing bar. An island (as the name would suggest) is a stand-alone fixture with 360-degree access. It can have multiple shelves or levels, or a single level. The access is the island’s biggest advantage, as it allows self-service without much contact with lamps or plates above or below.

End-Caps and In-Line Cases

The other two designs are end-caps and in-line cases. Endcaps are more popular in grocery stores and food markets as they are designed to be affixed to aisles. That said, there’s no reason they couldn’t be placed against a wall if proper electrical and safety precautions are taken. In-Line cases are built to be a part of a counter, so they might work better as a hot wing bar in a restaurant where people pay on their way out, or at a to-go counter. Whichever case design you choose, you can be confident that they’ll help preserve the taste and quality of your signature hot wings long after they’re out of the oven!