Centennial Hospitality Group expands across the western high plains

When Brian Seifried opened Wing Shack in 2004 with his brother Chris Delsordo in Greeley, Colo., the plan wasn't to grow the business into a mini-empire. But 20 years later, Seifried, who bought out his sibling, has opened a dozen fast-casual eateries in Colorado, in communities including Windsor, Boulder, Longmont, Loveland, and Fort Collins, as well as Greeley, plus one Wing Shack in Cheyenne, Wyo.

There are 10 Wing Shack restaurants, serving wings, sandwiches, and nuggets. Meatless nuggets made of soy protein and grains, are also available. 

Sexy Sammies, with two locations in Greeley and a new one opening soon in nearby Johnstown, offers tenders, sandwiches, salads, and ice cream.

Seifried’s Centennial Hospitality Group also operates Luna’s Tacos & Tequila, a full-service restaurant in downtown Greeley. 

The idea for the fried chicken sandwich concept bloomed out of a pandemic ghost kitchen. At the time, in 2021, Seifried said it felt like everyone was doing a hot chicken sandwich and he wanted to go beyond the Buffalo chicken option at Wing Shack. There wasn't enough capacity to do that out of the Greeley wing shop, so he opened in a space right next door.

"Sexy Sammies brings delicious local, modern, not-jaded-corporate chicken sandwiches made with love and open on Sundays," said Seifried. "It's vegetarian-fed, air-chilled chicken that we feel is some of the best of the best in the world."

Seifried sources his organic meat from Smart Chicken, one state over in Nebraska. He said it’s his dedication to better chicken that helps his restaurants stand out, and because of his relationship with the supplier he gets a good price. 

He said most of the grocery stores that Smart Chicken supplies want breasts, drums, and thighs, leaving the wings and tenders for his restaurants. 

"We've actually been able to get a better quality product at or below market rates because of the relationship we've cultivated with this company, and then they grow alongside us," Seifried said over the phone. "That's been a big part of our growth — it's building those relationships, whether that's with our team or the communities we do business in."

The growth of his business has also kept the prices of Sexy Sammies down. The most expensive single-person item on the menu is the six-piece tender basket for $12.50, which comes with fries, sauce and toast. Sandwiches range from $5 to $9, kids' meals are $5, and hearty fried chicken salads sell for $11.

Seifried also has managed costs by upgrading his technology, reducing his need for labor.

In 2004, the first Wing Shack operated with a $99 Casio cash register and hand-written order slips, he said. By contrast, Sexy Sammies’ system features touch screens and online ordering. Some 40% of sales are now made digitally. But to reinforce the hospitality aspect of the restaurant, food is delivered to guests’ tables. 

"We make the ordering model efficient and convenient for the modern consumer," he said. "We still try to make an engaging experience and create a connection with the guests that come in our store, but we put the experience in their hands, which was very intentional."

As the restaurateur continues to expand, he hopes to open co-branded locations of Wings Shack and Sexy Sammies with a shared kitchen. The two concepts already use some of the same house-made sauces. 

But Seifried still wants to make sure the brands remain separate.

He plans to grow Wing Shack across Colorado’s Front Range, the region east of Denver, as well as Wyoming. He dreams of having Sexy Sammies all over Colorado, including at Denver International Airport and at Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies baseball team. 

"With Sammies it's really early in the start, but we'd love to see, after putting on the finishing touches, maybe partnering with some folks that know and understand the franchise business better than us," he said. "We really are trying to see how we can share our love of fried chicken with the masses."