The chicken dining sector is a challenge for smaller restaurant chains that compete with popular fast-food establishments such as Chick-fil-A, Raising Cane’s, and Popeyes.
The public’s awareness of these chains, which is supported by national advertising, is a major obstacle local and regional chains face in generating sufficient traffic to their stores.
Chicken wings dining chain Island Wing Co.‘s franchisee Bartram Park IWC LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to reorganize its business about a month after a separate company owned by the Bartram owner also filed for bankruptcy.
Island Wing franchisee files bankruptcy
Bartram Park IWC filed its petition in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida on Aug. 6, 2026, listing $1 million to $10 million in assets and liabilities, according to PacerMonitor.
The debtor’s three largest creditors include MidFlorida Credit Union, owed $1.26 million; US Foods, owed $112,000; and ADP, owed over $41,000.
Funds would be available to pay unsecured creditors, according to the petition.
The Jacksonville, Fla., debtor did not give a specific reason for filing for bankruptcy. The petition does not indicate future plans for the Bartram location, though it continues operating, according to St. Johns Citizen.
Franchisee closes Island Wing location
The Bartram Island Wing Co. franchisee’s operator owns three locations that are open for business and closed one location in Fleming Island, Fla., in June after operating for 15 months.
The franchisee also owns the Tamaya location at 12689 Beach Blvd. in Jacksonville, which was not included in any Chapter 11 filing.
The Southside Boulevard location opened in 2020, the Bartram Market Drive location opened in 2022, Fleming Island opened in March 2025, and the Tamaya location opened later in 2025.
Bartram Park’s Island Wing Co. affiliate franchisee IWC Jacksonville LLC filed for Chapter 11 protection for its Southside Boulevard, Jacksonville, location in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida on July 2, listing $1.1 million in assets and $2.4 million in debts, according to court documents.
Specializes in baked chicken wings
Island Wing Co., which was founded in 2012 in Destin, Fla., consists of seven locations in Florida and two in Alabama. The restaurants specialize in baked traditional or boneless chicken wings, burgers, tacos, flatbreads, and entrees, including pork ribeyes, Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Shrimp, Island Grilled Shrimp, Caribbean Shrimp and Blackened Mahi Mahi.
Island Wing’s baked chicken-style of wings compete against fried chicken chains that have become popular in recent years.
Fried chicken chains are most popular
Fried chicken dining chains were the most popular subsector of the fast-food industry in 2025, as traffic to chicken concepts rose 3% for the year ending September 2025, while all concepts dropped 1% compared to the previous year, according to market research firm Circana.
Despite the popularity of chicken dining chains, chicken franchisees have closed restaurants, and in some cases, have filed bankruptcy and sold their locations.
Popeyes franchisee Liberty Restaurants Holdings, which operates Popeyes restaurants in Upstate New York, closed a location in Cicero, N.Y. on April 30, 2026,” Syracuse.com reported, and one in Oswego, N.Y., on March 15, 2026, the store’s former manager Mike Ward confirmed to WSYR.
And major Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen franchisee Sailormen Inc. divested of all 130 of its fried chicken locations through sales and closings after it filed for bankruptcy in January 2026, according to court papers.
Island Wing Locations:
- Destin: 981 US Hwy. 98 East, Destin, Fla.
- Jacksonville Bartram Market: 360 Bartram Market Dr., Jacksonville, Fla.
- Jacksonville Southside: 4409 Southside Blvd., Jacksonville, Fla.
- Jacksonville Tamaya: 12689 Beach, Blvd., Jacksonville, Fla.
- Orlando: 2079 Town Center Blvd., Orlando.
- Magnolia Tallahassee: 218 S. Magnolia Drive, Suite 101, Tallahassee, Fla.
- Market Street Tallahassee: 1370 Market St., Tallahassee, Fla.
- Daphne, Ala.: 29740 Urgent Care Drive, Daphne, Ala.
- Gulf Shores Ala.: 3947 Highway 59, Suite 100, Gulf Shores, Ala.
- Source: Island Wing Co.