Willie Finley, owner of Willie’s Wings, prides himself on creating unique wings sauces and then perfecting them before adding it to his food truck menu.  The current menu, which can be found on Willie’s facebook page, features distinct wing flavors such as apple cider, firestarter, and chilli cheese to name a few.

Although Willie has developed a great base of loyal customers in Wichita, he’s had more than his share of ups and downs.  He opened  his first truck in spring 2019, and with a great menu mix and location at Lincoln and Oliver, things were going well until his food truck was stolen in October 2020.

Even though that caused a major setback in his business plan, Willie didn’t panic. While he worked to get a new truck, he cooked out of various locations and his customers continued to support him. 

Unfortunately, after selling out on his reopening day in just hours, Willie received a call telling him that his new truck had burst into flames. 

“ I didn’t want to believe it at first, and for a split second I wanted to quit. Then I thought to myself, ‘did I really come this far to give up? No!’So, I put my head down and began to grind towards getting the truck back serviceable,” said Willie.

After selling out of his home for a while, Willie was able to get the truck back into operation.  Now, his new goal is sustainability. While the pandemic was tough on a lot of businesses, the food truck business thrived. Food trucks — essentially mobile kitchens — became a go-to choice for consumers who couldn’t dine indoors and wanted something different than standard carryout selections..

Now fully operational, Willie’s Wings has found a new and successful location on East Douglas in front of East High School. Willie has plans to eventually expand into a brick and mortar business, but would first like to franchise his food trucks in the Metro area.

“Since I’m back and settled, I’m focused on getting my second food truck and expanding my customer base to serve more people in Wichita, and the surrounding cities,” said Willie.

Has your mouth watered yet? If you’re looking to try Willie’s Wings they will be parked at the Cowboys Stampede event this weekend.

Call for a menu (316) 730-5659. Normal hours of business are Monday-Saturday 11a.m.-6p.m., outside of East High School on Douglas Ave. You can also find him on Facebook at Willie’s Food Truck .