BROOKINGS — The local restaurant scene is getting a new addition come June, and it’s sure to be a hit with chicken fans: Wingstop is opening its doors in Brookings.

The national chain’s location will be on the north end of Eastside Commons, 790 22nd Ave. S., which is managed by Mills Property Management. Entrepreneurs and local franchisees Mike Leslie and Jeff Oliver are making a bet on Brookings, one they feel confident about, based on the fact that it’s a thriving community, made even more so by the presence of South Dakota State University.

“We tend to do well in university cities,” Leslie said. “Brookings has always been a strong economic place to do business in.”

He expects the restaurant will open in mid- to late June, and its 1,800-square-foot location will include seating for 26 guests. Between 35 and 40 employees will be hired, and its hours are slated to run from 11 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week.

“It’ll be nice to open up and really get our feet wet with the local core of the town before (SDSU) opens up,” Leslie said.

Its offerings, as is to be expected, focus a lot on chicken. Leslie said Wingstop has a “very simple” menu that includes bone-in wings, boneless wings, tenders and chicken sandwiches.

“Those are all sauced and tossed,” he said, adding that there are a dozen or so different flavors along with a limited-time flavor. “That’s where Wingstop — wings are wings, but the … sauce is really where Wingstop shines.”

Side dishes include cheese fries, celery, carrots, French fries and Cajun corn. Leslie described the latter as corn that’s cut into 1.5-inch sections that’s fried and has Cajun seasoning on it.

“Living in South Dakota my whole life, this was the first time I’d ever had fried Cajun corn,” Leslie, who lives in Sioux Falls, said.

Dip flavors include ranch, blue cheese — both made daily in-restaurant — and honey mustard.

While a lot of Wingstop’s business comes from online orders via its app, takeout and delivery, walk-in traffic is much appreciated as well.

“We have the 26 seats there; our dining rooms are very welcoming,” Leslie said. “It’s a good, healthy environment for both our team members and our guests.”

The in-restaurant dining area is the biggest of the three Wingstop locations — the other two are in Sioux City, Iowa, and Sioux Falls — owned by Leslie and Oliver. Those sites have 16 and 24 seats, respectively.

Leslie said he has connections to the city: While he didn’t go to SDSU, he has a lot of friends and family who did, and so he has a fondness for Brookings.

“It’s not just a college town,” he said. “There’s so much banking industry, Daktronics, (Solventum) — a very diverse community.”

Leslie heaped praise on city officials as well, saying they’ve been really good on the planning and development side.

“They’ve been so helpful and welcoming. It’s been one of the easiest, best communication that we’ve had,” he pointed out.

In closing, Leslie is looking forward to bringing Wingstop to Brookings, and said his goals are simple.

“Just serving the community some great wings, bringing the flavor to Brookings and wanting to be a good business partner for the city,” he said.

— Contact Mondell Keck at mkeck@brookingsregister.com.