The concepts are in more than 70 locations combined.
In only five weeks after announcing their ghost kitchen partnership with NBA superstars and entrepreneurs Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem, Combo Kitchen has expanded both the D. Wade Burgers and UD Wings concepts to over 70 locations, combined. The two unique brands are scheduled to launch in more than 15 states and 30 cities by year end, including: Chicago, IL; Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Pembroke Pines, Fla.; Brooklyn, NY; Phoenix, AZ; Grand Rapids, MI; Portland, OR; Minneapolis, MN; and multiple cities throughout the state of California. The ghost kitchen enterprises allow existing restaurant owners to add either of the turn-key concepts to their kitchen for dine-in, delivery and takeout.
“We are absolutely thrilled with the response our team has received from restaurant operators across the country,” says Hossein Kasmai, founder and CEO of Combo Kitchen and Franchise Creator. “Ghost kitchen food concepts in partnership with celebrity talent is trending, and we are excited to be on the forefront of this movement. We are working hard to keep up with the demand but are being strategic with our launch dates to ensure our operators are ready to deliver a best-in-class product that is synonymous with our best-in-class talent.”
D. Wade Burgers will launch with a collection of five hand-crafted hamburgers originating from Wade’s kitchen. Each burger was created, tasted, and perfected in collaboration with Wade’s longtime friend and personal chef, Richard Ingraham. The burgers pay homage to Wade’s hometown cities (Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles), as well as a Classic and Impossible option.
All beef burgers are created using fresh (never frozen), doubled up 4-ounce certified angus beef patties (eight ounces per burger), quintessential vegetables toppings, tangy sauces, and optional cheese.
“Burgers make me happy! I’m excited to partner with Chef Richard Ingraham to create these first five, tasting endless flavor profiles in search of the perfect combinations,” says Wade regarding the launch of D. Wade Burgers. “We are looking forward to venturing into the vast potential of the ghost kitchen industry.”
UD Wings turns up the heat with endless combinations of wings created by three-time NBA Champion and Miami Heat Captain, Udonis Haslem. Driven by consumer demand, the menu is completely customizable starting with a choice of all-white meat crispy tenders, boneless tenders or winglets done UD’s way. This is followed by a selection of 11 sauces, and a choice of two rubs and four dips.
Wings can be paired with French fries (Cajun seasoned or regular) or fresh veggie sticks.
“Wings are something I really enjoy. If 19 years in the NBA has taught me anything, it’s about the importance of consistency and focus,” says Haslem about the driving inspiration behind the UD Wings concept. “The menu is a representation of both those lessons. The hyper-focus on wings makes it easy to deliver a consistent product, while still giving customers variety so they don’t tire from the same flavors.”
To ensure consistency of product, ease of procurement and scalability, Kasmai has tapped food service distributor, Sysco for both D. Wade Burgers and UD Wings’ ingredients, utilizing Kraft/Heinz to offer premium taste and flavor for all sauce needs.