Chicken-wing lovers now have a choice of restaurants in the Muncie area.
Buffalo Wild Wings, located off McGalliard Road by the Muncie Mall, was the most popular of the businesses in Muncie's chicken-wing market. But in late November Beef O'Brady's, which boasts its large-sized chicken wings, opened at 3001 N. Oakwood Ave.
The Beef O'Brady's franchise is best known for its wings, but the owner of the Muncie location said it has much more to offer.
"Wings, beer and sports. What else is there?" owner Rob Wardrop said.
Unlike other sports-themed pubs and restaurants, Beef O'Brady's pushes a family-oriented atmosphere by providing a variety of arcade games dispersed throughout the restaurant. Twenty-five televisions line the walls, including in restrooms, and broadcast local and national sports competitions. Also, Wardrop has been working on getting sports memorabilia from Muncie-area schools.
Wardrop used to own Headliners, a bar that was in the Village for 11 years. After he sold Headliners, Wardrop went into real estate.
He was looking for a franchise similar to Buffalo Wild Wings when a friend mentioned Beef O'Brady's to him.
"It was really almost exactly what we were looking for," Wardrop said.
Children are a major factor in where people eat and Beef O'Brady's offers entertainment for adults and children, making it ideal for families, he said.
The Irish-themed name has no reflection on the menu. From the 40-cent "happy hour wings" and $1.50 pints to the $7.50 hamburger and fries, Beef O'Brady's food is based on the American eatery for people on a budget.
The business employs about 30 Muncie residents and students.
Dave John, a senior natural resources and environmental management major, is a bartender at the restaurant. He also regularly stops in for drinks or food on his days off.
"I think the prices are more reasonable," he said. "It's a little more personal."
Wardrop said that in the spring he planned on adding a beergarden, an outdoor patio connected to the pub.
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