“Cosmic Wings”

Believe it or not, there is another new restaurant in Great Falls! Just kidding, it’s not new 😀

Scrolling through DoorDash yesterday, I noticed a listing I had never seen before – “Cosmic Wings.”

Sure enough – a quick look at the bottom of the listing confirmed what I suspected – it’s just a branded delivery version of Applebee’s: “Boneless Wings delivered from Cosmic Wings at Applebee’s Grill Bar, 223 River Dr S, Great Falls”

And yes, there is a Cosmic Wings website, which does include this: “Cosmic Wings are made in over 1300 Applebee’s kitchens nationwide and are only available for delivery through Uber Eats.” Uh, and I guess also through DoorDash?

It’s the same situation as the “Burger Den” and “The Meltdown” that you can order in Great Falls.

This type of branding/delivery is sometimes referred to by several names – such as “virtual kitchens” – and while the definitions are a bit blurry, they are all designed to get people who may not otherwise order from a large chain to try something that looks tasty and new.

In large cities with hundreds of delivery options, of course, there are far more of these operations. Some notable examples include: Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings (Chuck E. Cheese), and It’s Just Wings (Chili’s).

NOTE: I am NOT saying you shouldn’t order from “Cosmic Wings” – just know that what you are getting is coming from Applebee’s. FWIW, we did try the “Burger Den” (aka Denny’s) a few weeks ago, and it was…well, pretty standard fare, and what we expected from Denny’s.