Buffalo Wild Wings scored a legal victory after a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging the chain’s use of the term “boneless wings.”
The case centered on a customer’s claim that the menu item misled him into thinking he was getting actual chicken wings with the bones removed.
US District Judge John Tharp Jr. ruled that the complaint “had no meat on its bones,” writing that the plaintiff, Aimen Halim, failed to show that a reasonable consumer would be deceived by the name.
In his 10-page ruling, Tharp compared “boneless wings” to other food nicknames, noting that diners don’t expect “chicken fingers” to be made from fingers.
He also likened the item to Buffalo Wild Wings’ cauliflower wings, explaining that context makes it clear they are not made from wing meat, CBS News reported.
Halim, who filed the suit in 2023, alleged that BWW’s boneless wings are essentially chicken breast nuggets and that calling them “wings” was fraudulent.
He claimed the restaurant violated the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act, committed common law fraud, breached express warranty, and engaged in unjust enrichment.
Buffalo Wild Wings Wins Dismissal
Halim also sought to bring a nationwide class action, arguing that he would have paid less or not purchased the item had he known it was breast meat.
“Despite his best efforts, Halim did not ‘drum’ up enough factual allegations to state a claim,” Judge Tharp wrote.
He emphasized that “boneless wings” is a fanciful name, widely recognized for over two decades, and that no reasonable customer would expect it to refer to actual deboned wings.
Tharp also highlighted that terms like “buffalo wing” refer to the sauce rather than the type of meat, reinforcing that the wording does not mislead consumers.
He noted that Halim did allege economic harm, giving him standing to sue, but found the claims failed because they lacked plausibility.
According to FoxBusiness, the judge gave Halim until March 20 to file an amended complaint, though he expressed doubt that any new facts could salvage the claim.
Buffalo Wild Wings has maintained that the term is not deceptive and that the menu’s context clues make it clear the product is made from chicken breast.
Originally published on vcpost.com
