J.R. Crickets Wing Restaurant Coming to Taft Hill Road Shopping Center
A J.R. Crickets restaurant is under construction at 1015 S Taft Hill Rd, Unit B in Fort Collins, according to a commercial building permit filed with the city.
The Atlanta-based wing restaurant chain will renovate an existing restaurant space in a neighborhood shopping center along Taft Hill Road. The tenant finish includes alterations to the kitchen and dining areas, with renovations encompassing the kitchen, back of house operations and dining room.
Construction work includes replacing existing light fixtures with LED lighting, installing a new commercial kitchen hood, adding kitchen equipment and furnishing the space. David Toll of The Real Estate Workshop in Fort Collins is serving as the general contractor and licensed professional on the project.
J.R. Crickets operates under a licensing model rather than traditional franchising, allowing individual owners to operate locations under the company brand. The chain was founded in Atlanta in 1982 by Paul M. Juliano and has built its reputation on buffalo-style chicken wings featuring proprietary sauces, including signature lemony pepper seasoning and Buffalo BBQ flavors, according to the company's website.
The restaurant also serves steak and cheese philly sandwiches, BBQ pork ribs, burgers and seafood, targeting casual American dining with Southern influences. The chain emphasizes its "Atlanta Buffalo Wing Tradition" and reports serving over 60 million wings since its founding.
The Fort Collins location will mark J.R. Crickets' entry into the Northern Colorado market. The company's website does not list any other operational locations in Larimer or Weld Counties, with most restaurants concentrated in Georgia and select other states.
The Taft Hill Road address operates as a multi-tenant retail plaza serving west Fort Collins neighborhoods. The commercial corridor connects residential areas with Colorado State University's foothills campus and provides local retail and dining options for surrounding communities.
No opening date has been announced for the restaurant. The permit remains active with the city's building department.