This restaurant's wing prices have confused everyone

The restaurant gives the price of additional wings in one-piece increments 

Chelsea Ritschel
New York
Wednesday 31 October 2018 14:14 EDT
Comments
People are trying to figure out this restaurant's wing pricing system (Stock)
People are trying to figure out this restaurant's wing pricing system (Stock)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A Philadelphia restaurant’s menu has people attempting complicated mathematics formulas in an effort to decipher a confusing pricing structure for chicken wings.

Sean Woodall, 24, uploaded the offending photo of chicken-wing pricing at Danny’s Wok on Twitter, where it soon went viral.

Alongside the photo, which displays the exact price for wing amounts starting at four wings and going up to 200, Woodall wrote: “There’s gotta be a better way to convey this information.”

In the photo, four chicken wings cost $4.55 (£3.57) or $1.14 (£0.89) per wing. However, once the menu reaches 30 wings, the price per wing is slightly lowered.

For 30 wings, the price is $33.50 (£26.30) and after 50 wings, they can only be ordered in additional 10-wing selections.

The convoluted pricing system has most people baffled - with many questioning why the restaurant didn’t simply price the chicken wings in even-numbered increments.

“Who is walking into this establishment to buy 23 wings? Who is going in to buy a prime number assortment of wings?” one person asked.

Another joked: “You should see how they price the fries.”

However, there are also those who have tried to make sense of the wing prices - by plugging the numbers into graphs and mathematical equations.

“It seems to me that the pattern is $3.40 (£2.66) per three wings, with a 0.55 wing at each 25. The first two are $1.15 (£0.89), the third is $1.10 (£86). This pattern holds up to 75, where they add 5c for some reason, then subtract that 5c at 80. Subtract 5c at 125, add 5c at 150, add 5c again at 200. Shrug,” one person helpfully explained.

KFC announces new, lower calorie menu

Someone else supplied a handy graph that appears to prove why you could only save a maximum of 5c on an order of wings from the restaurant.

Another advised ordering a “multiple of three” if you want less than 25 wings. But if you want 25 or more wings, the restaurant offers the best “lowest price per wing” deals at 25 wings, 50, and 125, apparently.

As for why the restaurant decided to price its wings this way, Woodall hypothesised to BuzzFeed News that the restaurant wanted to make it easy for customers.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

“Maybe they wanted to make it as easy as possible for customers to know how much they would pay for any possible amount of wings, without the cashier needing to clarify or calculate,” she suggested.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in