International Wings Factory Announces Closure

Another Upper East Side restaurant is closing its doors. On Friday, International Wings Factory announced it would shutter before the end of March, but is going to stay open for dinner until the end of the month.

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“After 12 incredible years of serving this amazing Upper East Side community‑-through the ups and downs, including the pandemic—I’ve made the difficult decision to shut down operations at @internationalwingsfactory before the end of the month,” owner Deepak Ballaney posted on the business’s Instagram account. “Please stop by to say ‘Goodbye for now.’”

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Ballaney opened International Wings Factory, located at 1762 First Avenue (between East 91st and 92nd streets) toward the end of 2012 after he noticed that his friends and family went crazy for the different sauces he slathered his homemade wings with, according to the restaurant’s website. He worked shifts at various restaurants around the city to save up money for what he thought was going to be a fine dining establishment, but ultimately he decided to focus on different varieties of chicken wings.

“From the very beginning in 2012, I poured everything into this place, using the savings of a lifetime and choosing not to take on partners because I had a clear vision: to create a true mecca for wings,” Ballaney wrote on Instagram. “Quality always came first, and profits were never a priority.”

He added that some unfortunate financial decisions, such as opening a second location at 765 Eighth Avenue during the pandemic—which is now closed—have had “lasting repercussions.”

International Wings Factory serves both traditional and boneless wings, as well as chicken sandwiches, burgers, fries, mac and cheese and more. Sauces include regular buffalo, lemon Cajun, Vietnamese chili mango, Nashville hot style and more, and customers could request to get their wings a specific crispiness, as well as have them “naked” with the sauce on the side or slathered in the sauce of their choice.

“To our incredible customers—thank you for welcoming me into this community, for your love, support, and loyalty,” Ballaney added. “My family, my team, and I are forever grateful. I hope to serve you again someday, with the wings you’ve always loved.”

He didn’t specify which day the restaurant would close, but it will be open “from 5:30 onwards these last few weeks.” East Side Feed reached out to the restaurant and Ballaney but didn’t hear back by press time.

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