Judge Dismisses $10 Million Lawsuit Over Buffalo Wild Wings' Boneless Wings
A federal judge in Illinois has delivered a decisive ruling in a contentious legal battle over the naming of a popular menu item at Buffalo Wild Wings. The case centered on whether the restaurant chain's "boneless wings" constitute deceptive advertising, with the plaintiff arguing they are essentially just chicken nuggets.
The Lawsuit and Its Claims
Aimen Halim, a 39-year-old customer from Illinois, filed the lawsuit against Buffalo Wild Wings in 2023, seeking $10 million in damages. Halim claimed the casual dining chain led him to believe that his boneless chicken wings actually came from the wing of a chicken, when in reality they are made from other chicken parts.
Halim argued that he would not have purchased the dish had he known it wasn't truly made from chicken wings, alleging this caused him financial harm. In his 10-page complaint, he contended that Buffalo Wild Wings violated Illinois' Consumer Fraud Act and was unfairly enriching itself through misleading terminology.
The Judicial Response
On Thursday, Judge John Tharp Jr. of the Northern District of Illinois firmly rejected Halim's arguments. In his ruling, Judge Tharp stated that "a reasonable consumer would not think that BWW's boneless wings were truly deboned chicken wings, reconstituted into some sort of Franken-wing."
The judge emphasized that "words can have multiple meanings" and ruled that Georgia-based Buffalo Wild Wings is well within its rights to continue serving and marketing boneless wings under that name. He noted that the restaurant also offers Bone-In Wings and Cauliflower Wings, with the latter obviously not made from actual cauliflower wings.
Buffalo Wild Wings' Position and Product Description
Buffalo Wild Wings defended its naming convention, arguing that Halim failed to prove he sustained any concrete injury from consuming the boneless wings. The chain's online menu describes its Boneless Wings as "juicy all-white chicken, lightly breaded, handspun in choice of sauce or dry rub."
Halim had requested that the court force Buffalo Wild Wings to change the name of its product to something like "chicken poppers," but Judge Tharp declined to entertain this suggestion. The judge gave Halim until next month to amend his lawsuit, though he expressed skepticism about the plaintiff's ability to provide additional facts demonstrating deceptive practices.
Broader Context and Plaintiff's History
This lawsuit represents another chapter in Halim's history of legal actions against major brands. The plaintiff previously sued the makers of Hefty recycling bags and KIND granola over what he claimed was deceptive wording, losing both cases in court.
Judge Tharp's ruling reinforces the principle that food naming conventions often involve some degree of creative license, and that consumers are generally expected to understand common menu terminology. The decision allows Buffalo Wild Wings to continue marketing its popular boneless wings without changing the product name that has become familiar to millions of customers nationwide.
