Super Bowl Sunday Chicken Wings to Cost More

It’s no secret that inflation is doing havoc on Americans’ wallets, but the surge in demand for chicken – particularly wings – since the outbreak has left Super Bowl fans wondering how much the popular menu dish will set them back on Sunday.

The National Chicken Council predicts that on game day, wing consumption will be around 1.42 billion, similar to last year’s figures, and while the organisation doesn’t expect people to have trouble finding wings in stores and restaurants, as they have in the past since COVID-19 first hit, they warn that consumers should expect to pay more out of pocket.

Despite supplies for the desired Super Bowl cuisine being up 70% from last year, the retail cost of wings is up an average of $0.30 per pound compared to this time last year. According to USDA data, grocers’ average price for wings promoted as “on sale” was slightly under $3 per pound. Meanwhile, since this time in 2021, the average price of an eight-piece order of wings has risen by over $3 at restaurants.

Costs have grown across the board, according to the industry organisation, as a result of rising demand, workforce shortages, record input costs, and government spending programmes that have flooded the sector. However, in order to keep up with demand for wings, farmers have begun having more chickens processed into cuts rather than selling whole birds. The National Chicken Council claims that grocers and restaurants have been prepared for the projected surge in wing sales during the Super Bowl.