A long-vacant Burger King on Marquette Avenue in Oglesby could soon become a chicken wing restaurant with a side of video gambling, according to a liquor-license application filed with city hall. Developers Kamleshkumar Patel and Mehulkumar Patel have confirmed their interest in converting the shuttered fast-food site into a Wing Snob franchise paired with a tandem gaming parlor. The plan would give Wing Snob its first Illinois Valley outpost and would bring new life to a building that has sat empty for roughly five years.
The proposal came to light after Oglesby City Administrator Jason Curran disclosed the liquor-license application and a potential property sale, as reported by Shaw Local. City hall received the Class A liquor license application on July 20, and Kamleshkumar Patel is listed as president-owner of the proposed development, with Mehulkumar Patel serving as secretary-owner. The pair are described as being about a month away from disclosing concrete property and development details, per the same report.
What the Site Could Look Like
The former Burger King building measures 3,150 square feet and includes two drive-up windows and multiple heating and cooling zones on a large asphalt lot, according to commercial listing details for the property. That footprint reportedly meets Wing Snob's flexible floor-space parameters for franchise buildouts. The developers are seeking to buy the property outright rather than lease it, and the proposed restaurant would operate from 10 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday, local time.
Mehulkumar Patel has envisioned the location offering wine and beer service, with the possibility of hard alcohol also on the menu, the station's report notes. Whether the city council ultimately grants full liquor privileges or restricts service to beer and wine remains an open question, as does the exact timeline for closing the real estate purchase and finishing construction.
A Chicken Chain Betting on Gaming Revenue
Wing Snob was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Warren, Michigan; the chain traces its roots to a Livonia, Michigan launch by co-founders Brian Shunia and Jack Mashini, who began franchising in October 2018, according to background compiled by Sharpsheets. The chain now counts 100 locations across 17 states and Canada, with more than 100 additional franchisee commitments in the pipeline, according to the company's website. Wing Snob's menu leans on 18 signature flavor sauces and rubs, including options like Chicken & Waffles and Hot AF, alongside plant-based cauliflower wings and Beyond Meat tenders, per Fast Casual.
If it opens, the Oglesby location would mark Wing Snob's first Illinois presence outside the Chicago suburbs, based on a review of the chain's store locator. The brand established its earlier northern Illinois foothold in 2024 with suburban openings including one in Mount Prospect. Hoodline previously reported on the chain's arrival in the Romeoville dining scene, and its expansion has continued to ripple into other pockets of northern Illinois fast-casual development.
Why the Gaming Angle Matters Financially
Pairing a wing restaurant with a gaming parlor is not incidental — franchise costs for a Wing Snob location run an estimated $340,000 to $616,000, including a $30,000 franchise fee and $150,000 to $300,000 in leasehold improvements, according to Sharpsheets' breakdown of company disclosure documents. Video gaming terminals can help offset that overhead. Under the Illinois Video Gaming Act, non-truck-stop commercial establishments like a standalone restaurant are capped at six terminals, with maximum wagers of $4.00 per play and payouts capped at $1,199, according to regulatory details compiled by Universal Gaming Group.
Host establishments in Illinois typically retain about 32% of net terminal profits after state and local taxes, which combine to roughly 40.8% of net terminal income, according to a market report from iGamingToday.com. Statewide, that video gaming system has become a significant revenue driver for Illinois — gaming tax revenues hit $1.561 billion in fiscal year 2025, up from $548 million in fiscal year 2012, before the state's video gaming expansion took hold, according to the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability.
Oglesby has room to accommodate a new gaming applicant. The city council passed an ordinance in April 2024 raising the municipal cap on video gaming licenses from 22 to 27, alongside a matching increase in liquor licenses, according to reporting at the time from Shaw Local's sister paper. Franchise rules also add a clock to the process: Wing Snob franchisees are required to open their first location within six months of signing franchise and lease agreements, though it remains unclear whether that countdown has started for the Oglesby project.
