Why Boneless Wings Are the Smartest Play on Your March Madness Menu

The 2026 NCAA Tournament tips off on March 17 and runs through the championship game on April 6. That is three full weeks of afternoon and evening basketball, millions of viewers glued to screens, and a nationwide appetite for the kind of food that pairs with cold beer and close games. Wing orders alone jump an estimated 23% during the tournament, according to industry data.

Beer sales climb roughly 19%. And unlike the Super Bowl, which compresses all that demand into a single Sunday, March Madness spreads it across 21 days of game action, giving restaurant operators in Colorado and Wyoming multiple windows to capture that traffic.

If you are running a bar and grill, a pizza shop, a Mexican restaurant, or any operation with a fryer and a TV, March Madness is one of the best revenue opportunities between Valentine's Day and patio season. The question is not whether to run wing specials. The question is which wing to run, and why boneless breaded wings might be the most profitable choice you make all month.

The Profit Math: Boneless vs. Bone-In

Most operators think of wings as wings. Bone-in or boneless, same category, same margin. That is not the case, and the difference matters more than most people realize.

A bone-in chicken wing is a natural cut from the bird. Each chicken produces just two wings, which are then split into drumettes, flats, and tips. The tips are usually discarded. That limited yield per bird is the primary reason whole wing prices are volatile, especially around major sporting events when every bar in the country is competing for the same supply. Wholesale bone-in wing prices have spiked as high as $4.31 per pound in recent years, and even during calmer markets, they tend to run higher per usable ounce than most other chicken cuts.

Boneless wings are different. They are made from chicken breast meat, cut into pieces, breaded, and fried. Breast meat is one of the most abundant cuts on the bird and is not subject to the same supply constraints as natural wings. That means more stable pricing and easier sourcing, especially when demand spikes during events like March Madness.

Here is where it gets interesting for your bottom line. Bone-in wings yield roughly 55% edible meat by weight. The rest is bone, cartilage, and skin. Boneless wings yield 85% to 90% edible product. That is a significant difference when you are calculating food cost per serving. You are paying for less waste, getting more plate-ready product per pound, and pricing against a cut of chicken that historically costs less than natural wings.

Matt Friedman, founder and CEO of Wing Zone, a chain with 70 locations, put it plainly in an interview with Nation's Restaurant News: the profitability of boneless wings is significantly greater than bone-in. His chain has shifted from a two-thirds bone-in mix to roughly 50/50, driven in part by that margin advantage.

For operators in the Colorado and Wyoming markets, where food cost management is critical during a seasonal push, this is not a minor detail. It is the difference between a March Madness promotion that drives revenue and one that just drives volume.

Why Boneless Wings Are Easier to Execute

Profit margins only matter if your kitchen can deliver the product consistently during a rush. This is another area where boneless breaded wings have a clear advantage.

Bone-in wings require more prep. Depending on the format, they may need to be separated, trimmed, brined, or marinated before cooking. Fry times are longer because the bone needs to reach safe internal temperature without burning the exterior. And portioning is less predictable since natural wing sizes vary from bird to bird.

Boneless breaded wings arrive ready to cook. They go from freezer to fryer with minimal prep, cook faster and more uniformly, and portion consistently because they are manufactured to a standard size and weight. That means faster ticket times during a dinner rush, more predictable food cost per plate, and less kitchen labor dedicated to wing prep.

During a three-week tournament window where you might be running wing specials on 15 or more game days, that operational efficiency adds up. Your line cooks are not hand-separating wings during the Thursday afternoon tip-off. They are dropping pre-portioned boneless wings, saucing them, and getting them to the table.

Roma® Boneless Breaded Wings: Built for This

When sourcing boneless breaded wings for a high-volume promotion, consistency matters. You need a product that cooks the same way every time, holds up under a variety of sauces, and delivers the crispy, satisfying texture your guests expect from a wing.

Roma® Boneless Breaded Wings, available through Performance Foodservice Denver, are built for exactly this kind of application. Roma® is one of Performance Foodservice's Italian family of brands, backed by nearly 70 years in the foodservice distribution business. The brand is known across the pizza and Italian restaurant segments for products that meet demanding quality standards, and their boneless wing offering carries that same commitment to consistency and flavor.

Roma® Boneless Breaded Wings work well across every sauce profile you might feature during March Madness, from traditional buffalo and garlic parmesan to barbecue, sweet chili, or any house-made specialty. The breading holds up to tossing without getting soggy, and the uniform sizing means you get consistent cook times and predictable portioning across every order.

For operators who already use Roma® products in their kitchens for cheese, sauces, or Italian meats, adding their boneless wings to your March Madness lineup is a simple extension of a brand you already trust.

Seven Ways to Put Boneless Wings on Your March Madness Menu

One of the biggest advantages of boneless wings is their versatility. They are not limited to a single appetizer format. With the right sides, sauces, and presentation, you can stretch a single product across multiple menu positions, dayparts, and price points. Here are seven applications that work for operators across the Colorado and Wyoming market.

Classic Boneless Wing Basket: 8 to 12 boneless wings tossed in your choice of sauce, served with celery, carrot sticks, and ranch or blue cheese dressing. Add seasoned fries or onion rings to create a complete basket at a strong price point. This is your anchor item for game-day specials.

Boneless Wing Platter for the Table: Scale the basket up to a shareable format. 24 to 36 wings with two or three sauce options, served on a large platter with dipping sides. Price it as a group item for four to six guests. Tables watching the game together will order this over individual portions, and your average ticket goes up.

Boneless Wing Sampler: Feature three or four signature sauces on a single plate, with a portion of wings tossed in each. This works especially well for restaurants that want to showcase a variety of house flavors. It also gives guests a reason to come back and order their favorite flavor in a full portion next time.

Boneless Wing Tacos or Lettuce Wraps: Toss boneless wings in a spicy sauce, chop or slice them, and serve in flour tortillas with pickled slaw and crema, or in butter lettuce cups with a Thai peanut or sweet chili drizzle. Mexican restaurant operators can lean into this as a natural crossover between their existing menu and a tournament special.

Loaded Boneless Wing Nachos: Layer seasoned fries or tortilla chips with chopped boneless wings, melted cheese, jalapeños, diced tomatoes, and a drizzle of ranch or buffalo sauce. This is a strong fit for bar and grill operators looking for a high-margin, shareable appetizer that photographs well for social media.

Boneless Wing Pizza: For pizza operators, use boneless wings as a topping. Chop them into bite-sized pieces, spread over a white sauce or buffalo sauce base with mozzarella and a drizzle of ranch after baking. This is a limited-time specialty that practically writes its own social media post, and you are using product you already have in the walk-in.

Boneless Wings and Waffles (Brunch): If you serve a weekend brunch, boneless wings tossed in a hot honey glaze alongside a buttermilk waffle is a strong play for the Saturday and Sunday morning crowds who plan to park themselves in front of the TV by noon. It extends your wing promotion into a daypart that most operators overlook.

Each of these applications uses the same core product. You are not adding seven new SKUs to your inventory. You are adding seven new menu items built around one.

Build the Full Plate From One Order

Running a limited-time promotion works best when sourcing stays simple. Performance Foodservice Denver lets you build a complete March Madness menu from a single distributor, which streamlines ordering, receiving, and food cost tracking.

Beyond Roma® Boneless Breaded Wings, consider how the rest of the plate and the kitchen come together. West Creek® covers your fries, frozen vegetables, sauces, and cooked entrees, giving you the side items and staples that round out every basket and platter. Culinary Secrets® handles your dressings, ranch, blue cheese, buffalo sauce, condiments, and spice blends, the finishing touches that make or break a wing order. Brilliance® High Performance Fry Oil extends fry life, delivers consistent golden color, and holds up to the volume demands of a busy game night. Heritage Ovens® supplies the rolls, buns, and bakery items you need if you are building wing sandwiches, sliders, or wraps.

When everything comes from one distributor, you are not juggling multiple delivery schedules or chasing down products from separate suppliers during the busiest three weeks of the spring. Your rep knows your account, your order history, and your volume needs, and that matters when you are scaling up for a seasonal push.

Timing Your March Madness Wing Promotion

The 2026 NCAA Tournament follows this schedule:

Selection Sunday falls on March 15, which is when brackets are announced and the national conversation kicks into gear. The First Four games begin on March 17 and 18. The first and second rounds run from March 19 through 22, which is the highest-volume period for most restaurants since there are up to 16 games per day across four broadcast windows. The Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight take place March 27 through 31. The Final Four is April 4 in Indianapolis, and the championship game is April 6.

For operators in Colorado, there is a strong local angle. The Colorado Buffaloes are in the mix for a potential tournament bid this season, and if CU makes the bracket, the entire Front Range will be tuned in. Bar and grill operators from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs should be prepared for a surge in traffic if the Buffs are playing, especially during the first weekend when upsets generate the most excitement.

Plan your promotion in two phases. First, get your product ordered and your specials menu locked in by early March. Talk to your Performance Foodservice Denver sales representative to confirm Roma® Boneless Breaded Wing availability and lock in pricing before tournament demand drives orders up across the industry. Second, start promoting on social media and Google Business Profile the week of Selection Sunday. Post your specials, update your hours, and make it clear that your restaurant is the place to watch the games.

A Smarter Wing, a Stronger March

The operators who win during March Madness are the ones who treat it like what it is: a three-week revenue window that rewards preparation, smart menu engineering, and efficient execution. Boneless breaded wings check every box. They cost less per usable ounce than bone-in. They cook faster and more consistently. They portion predictably. They work across multiple menu formats, from appetizers and platters to tacos, nachos, and pizza. And they are available through a supplier who can deliver everything else on the plate in the same order.

Roma® Boneless Breaded Wings, available through Performance Foodservice Denver, give you the product quality and consistency to run a promotion that performs for three weeks straight without straining your kitchen or your food budget.

Talk to your Performance Foodservice Denver sales representative today to get your March Madness wing order in place. Because the buzzer waits for no one, and neither does the dinner rush.

Performance Foodservice Denver is a wholesale food distributor serving restaurant operators throughout Colorado and Wyoming from our 350,000 sq ft state-of-the-art facility. We offer an extensive family of exclusive brands, including Roma®, West Creek®, Brilliance®, Heritage Ovens®, and more, designed to help your business succeed.