Anchor Bar, home of the original, world-famous Buffalo chicken wing since 1964, celebrated the grand opening of its 16th restaurant location in the Village of Oswego with many local dignitaries, family, and friends in attendance. Samm and Laura Dimech are the Franchisee Owners of the 1st Anchor Bar in Illinois located at 2440 Rt. 34 at Prairie Market.
“Laura and I have raised our family of three in the Oswego area for over 15 years and appreciate all Oswego has to offer. We love the competitive sports environment, local dining and fully support the remarkable growth in our hometown. We thought this is the ideal location and partnership for our new venture, “said Samm Dimech. “In addition to the mouthwatering signature chicken wings, there’s something on our menu for everyone! Whether it’s a date night, family celebration, sports team event or a night with friends, Anchor Bar is your destination.”
Following a ribbon cutting ceremony, President/CEO of the Oswego Chamber of Commerce Angie Hibben welcomed Anchor Bar to the community. “We’re pleased to welcome Anchor Bar and its famous Buffalo wings to Oswego,” Hibben said. “It will be a tremendous place to enjoy great food and drinks and watch sports. Oswego has so many great things happening right now, including Anchor Bar choosing Oswego as their first location in the state.”
In addition to welcoming comments from Hibben, many other local officials and dignitaries were in attendance, including: Kit Kuhrt and Jennifer Jones Sinnott, Village Trustees and Chamber members; Matt Kellogg, Kendall County Board Chairman; Jason Peterson, Kendall County Board Member; Dan Koukol, Chamber member; Mark Sandstrom, Chairman of Oswego Chamber; Jonathan Henderson, and Chamber Board members Karen Kulzer and Wendy Greenslade; Chamber Ambassadors Don Howard, Mark Wrasman, Tracy Hodges, Janice Van Riper, and Laura Witt; Troy Parlier, Village of Oswego President, and Kevin Leighty, Economic Development Director for the City of Oswego.
The new Anchor Bar restaurant features a family dining area and sports bar, both with views of televisions from every angle with more than 50 large flat screens and multiple audio zones. The casual, inviting space is outfitted with décor that includes sports memorabilia, pictures of celebrities, and awards. The menu features Anchor Bar’s classic fare, including the original signature wings and sauces, boneless wings and fingers, beef on weck, pizza, salads, burgers, and signature sandwiches. Guests can also choose from local and national beers on tap, wine, and a craft cocktail menu. The location is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.
“We are thrilled to offer the community of Oswego the opportunity to experience our James Beard Gold Medal Award Winning Wings,” said Mark Dempsey, President and CEO of the Anchor Bar Franchise & Development Company. “Our history and tradition of sharing America’s favorite food is built on family, and that’s why it’s important that every Anchor Bar is run locally, by community business owners like Samm and Laura Dimech. We’re excited to support them in this new endeavor and look forward to a long, fruitful partnership.”
The Anchor Bar Franchise & Development Company opened its first franchise location in 2009. Today, the company has 16 locations with restaurants in Western New York, Texas, Maryland, Illinois, and Georgia. For more information on franchising with Anchor Bar visit www.anchorbar.com.
Owners Frank and Teressa Bellissimo first opened the doors to Anchor Bar in 1935, offering a menu that specialized in Italian cuisine. When Anchor Bar invented the chicken wing in 1964, the restaurant became a local treasure and foodie hot spot.
Today, Anchor Bar serves more than 10 million pounds of chicken wings a year, and its bottled wing sauce now retails in over 4,000 supermarkets worldwide. Consumers can even purchase Anchor Bar’s famous wings online and have them shipped anywhere in the country.
