Tree’s Wings Celebrates 20 Years Under Current Ownership

Celebrating two decades under its current ownership, Tree’s Wings & Ribs is a family-friendly place to enjoy great wings, ribs, sandwiches and more.

Owners Linda and Andy Maynard purchased Tree’s Wings in 1995, a year after it was opened by its original owner, Glenn “Tree” Thompson. “It was mostly a little bar at the time,” Andy recalled.

Under the Maynards, the small space has grown dramatically. “Over the 20 years, we’ve sold more than 20 million wings,” Andy said.

Back in the mid-1990s, after 17 years working a job that kept Andy on the road, the Maynards decided that it was time for a change. They decided to settle down in the community and find a new venture.

“After the first one or two years, we realized that we didn’t like just the bar,” he said. “We started selling more and more food, and the food started to become more and more popular. It became a restaurant instead of a bar.”

But in 1998, a major fire gutted the restaurant, forcing them to close the doors for five months.

“Through the generous support of [property owner] Jess Santamaria, he got us reopened again in a short time,” Andy said. “When we reopened, because of the publicity from the fire, we became extremely busy, and the place became very popular — so much so that we had a difficult time keeping up with it. In 2001, we took over two more bays in the building and expanded the operation from 43 seats to 153 seats.”

Now, Tree’s Wings has two full bars, an indoor seating area and an outside seating area. During the week, there is live music featuring local favorite Rick Nelson, and trivia, karaoke and happy hour during the week from 3 to 6 p.m.

Tree’s Wings is a family-oriented restaurant, active in the community, supporting local sports teams and visible at many of the community’s events, fundraisers and more.

The restaurant offers a VIP and birthday club. “We like to thank our regular customers,” General Manager Erin Townsend said. “When they sign up for our VIP program, we send them a birthday card, and they have the entire month to come in for a free rib and wing dinner. Them, and all of their guests, enjoy a free drink on the house.”

There’s a prize wheel with cash prizes and other promotions that come with signing up for the VIP club, plus coupons and other special offers.

The Maynards own a 16-foot shack unit that gets used as a portable Tree’s Wings restaurant outpost. At WestFest, it gets set up like a saloon.

“It has been a lot of things,” Linda said. “It has been a tiki bar, a swamp bar and, thanks to Erin’s artistic ability, it is decorated and can be anything.”

Sometimes, it even makes an appearance in the restaurant’s parking lot for special occasions.

Yet it is always the food and the prompt, friendly service that brings the customers back.

“The food is awesome, and it’s freshly made,” Linda said.

“People have many choices to go to with so many different restaurants in the area, so we do our best to make it a fun place to go, a different experience than to just go and get your food,” Andy added. “We’re trying to keep the family touch in there and try to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable.”

The goal, Erin said, is for customers to leave happier than when they came in. “We only hire fun, energetic, happy people,” she said.

Erin has been working at Tree’s Wings for the last seven years. “I love it,” she said. “This is home.”

She started working part-time, fell in love with the place, and now spends the majority of her time there.

“I think it’s great. I’ve got incredible people who I work for and the best customers in the whole world,” Erin said. “I could probably walk out there, and you could point at any table, and I’ll know at least one person’s name and what they like to order. It’s very much down-home family, and that completely appeals to me.”

Tree’s Wings has two other managers, assistant manager Krystal DeGeorge and kitchen manager Domenic Bowers. “We could not do it without those two,” Erin said. “They are a huge, integral part of this system.”

Because the restaurant is so family-oriented, the second bar area, to the right of the restaurant, comes in handy for special events, activities and quiet dinners. It serves as overflow space during the weekend. The lounge also serves large groups or private parties.

“That works out well, because they feel like they have their own room,” Linda said.

For diners wishing to eat at home, Tree’s Wings offers delivery.

“We have a fleet of delivery cars,” Erin said, “We have a very large delivery range… Our cars, collectively, have traveled more than 1.5 million miles delivering Tree’s Wings food.”

The fleet fluctuates between four and seven cars, and they travel throughout Wellington and Royal Palm Beach, and as far west as Seminole Pratt Whitney Road and as far north as Orange Blvd., along with some areas to the east.

Linda and Andy, who recently celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary, are thrilled with their decision to take over Tree’s Wings. For the remainder of 2015, they are pleased to be celebrating the 20th anniversary of Tree’s Wings.

“Over the course of 20 years, there are so many restaurants that have come and gone. I wish I had kept track of them, but I’m sure it’s in the hundreds. To be able to survive does say a lot for us,” Andy said. “We’re pretty proud of that.”

Tree’s Wings & Ribs is located at 603 Royal Palm Beach Blvd. in the Royal Plaza shopping center. For more information, visit www.treeswingsandribs.com or call (561) 791-1535.

ABOVE: Tree’s Wings & Ribs owners Andy and Linda Maynard with General Manager Erin Townsend.