A man has initiated a class-action lawsuit against Buffalo Wild Wings, alleging that its “boneless wings” are actually made from chicken breast and are more similar to chicken nuggets than actual wings.
The lawsuit, filed by Aimen Halim in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on Friday, challenges what he describes as “false and deceptive marketing and advertising” of Buffalo Wild Wings’ Boneless Wings, according to court documents obtained by Insider.
Halim has also filed at least three other class-action lawsuits, including claims that the “natural” label on Tom’s Wicked Fresh Mouthwash and the “high in fiber” label on Kind granola are misleading.
Additionally, he argues that Hefty should not label its bags as “recycling bags” because they are not recyclable; this particular case was dismissed in August.
In the lawsuit against Buffalo Wild Wings, Halim contends that the restaurant’s boneless wings are “not wings at all” but rather slices of deep-fried chicken breast meat.
“Indeed, the Products are more akin, in composition, to a chicken nugget rather than a chicken wing,” the lawsuit states.
The complaint argues that the term “boneless wings” is misleading, as it suggests to consumers that the product is a chicken wing that has simply been deboned.
“This clear-cut case of false advertising should not be permitted, as consumers should be able to rely on the plain meaning of a product’s name and receive what they are promised,” the lawsuit asserts.
Buffalo Wild Wings introduced boneless wings in 2003 and updated the recipe in 2019. At that time, the company announced that it sold nearly 100 million of these items annually.
According to a press release from the company, “The chicken is first marinated in a blend of spices then coated in a savory new breading.”
The company also stated that the updated recipe featured “over 30 percent less breading than before,” resulting in a larger piece of marinated white chicken that “packs more flavor into every bite.”
On its menu, Buffalo Wild Wings describes its boneless wings as “all-white chicken” that is “lightly breaded.”
In his lawsuit, Halim criticizes Buffalo Wild Wings for labeling its product as boneless wings, contrasting it with other companies like Papa John’s, which sells a similar product under the name “chicken poppers.”
He also points out that Domino’s offers a menu item called boneless chicken, which it labels as being made from “100% whole white breast meat.”
“It should be noted that Domino’s Pizza and Papa John’s also sell actual chicken wings, and that a restaurant named Buffalo Wild ‘Wings’ should be just as careful, if not more so, in how it names its products,” the lawsuit argues.
Halim’s lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount in punitive damages, attorneys’ fees, a jury trial, and any other damages deemed appropriate by the court, according to the court documents.
