Award-winning Memphis food truck New Wing Order is closing: Here's what we know

An award-winning Memphis food truck is ending its operations.

Owner/ operator Jesse McDonald announced Friday on Facebook that New Wing Order is closing. The post said the hope is to bring New Wing Order back in some kind of capacity someday.

“In the meantime, soon you’ll still be able to come eat food that I cook, so stay tuned y’all. I’m not done yet,” McDonald said on Facebook.

In the post, McDonald said he had enjoyed the experience of serving the community but unfortunately the struggles of trying to maintain a business became hard due to rising costs the past few years and New Wing Order had to deal with unexpected expenses.

The food truck opened in 2018. Then in June 2022, New Wing Order decided to open its first brick-and-mortar location inside the Ghost River Brewing Co. taproom at 341 Beale St.

McDonald said in the post that New Wing Order location started with strong sales in the first 15 months of operation, however, things started to change and they decided to change course by pulling out of that venture and focusing primarily on the food truck.

“Unfortunately, we are at a crossroads and I’m having to make another really hard decision,” McDonald said. “I’m sorry to say, we have to shut down the food truck. I am so grateful for each and every person that has ever tried my food. Having a bunch of regular customers is the most rewarding thing in the world and the way Memphis has embraced us means everything to me. I’m so incredibly proud of what we have built.”

What was New Wing Order known for?

New Wing Order was touted for its award-winning chicken wings. Guests were able to choose from jumbo party wings or boneless wings in tossed in customers' choice of an array of sauces and seasonings. New Wing Order also served one-of-kind dishes like Hot Wing Nachos and vegan-friendly Avocado Tacos.

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How did New Wing Order begin?

New Wing Order was started as a competition cooking team in 2013 by a group of hot wing enthusiasts who wanted to create perfect flavors for every appetite — mild to scorching hot, sauced or dry rubbed, local to international favorites, and everything in between. Countless hours in the test kitchen resulted in trophies on the competition circuit, including several Hot Wing Grand Championships and a slew of other awards. Eventually, the decision was made to open a food truck, and New Wing Order hit the roads in fall 2018.

Corey Davis is the Collierville and Germantown reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Corey.Davis@commercialappeal.com or 901-293-1610 .

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Award-winning Memphis food truck New Wing Order is closing: Here's what we know