Franks for the Memories nabs a another trophy at wing festival
For the second straight year, Mundelein's Franks for the Memories has earned a prize at the National Buffalo Wing Festival.
This time, the restaurant went home with the second-place award in the traditional hot category.
“It's nice to get recognized again,” owner Jim Schultz Jr. said Tuesday, the trophy displayed proudly at the restaurant on Hawley Street.
It was the second time a team from Franks competed in the event, which was held this past weekend in Buffalo, N.Y., the birthplace of the dish that bears its name.
Last year, Franks won the third-place trophy for medium sauce and the Chairman's Award for Festival Spirit.
Schultz again led the squad, which primarily consisted of relatives who live in the Buffalo area. Volunteers included his father, Franks founder Jim Schultz Sr., who still lives in Mundelein.
“He was really enjoying it and having a good time,” the younger Schultz said of his dad, who retired from the business about nine years ago.
Schultz entered Franks in three categories this year: traditional hot, specialty sweet and medium.
When he claimed the trophy, his dad and mom, Carol, were watching proudly at the corner of the stage.
“It was great,” Schultz said of winning in front of his parents.
Mundelein Trustee and Franks fan Ray Semple called the win “fantastic.” He praised the restaurant as a locally owned establishment that's become one of the town's landmarks.
“Hats off to them,” Semple said.
Franks was the only Illinois-based restaurant that competed in the contest. Many of the other contestants — including the legendary Anchor Bar, where the classic wing recipe originated — were from the Buffalo area.
Competitors also came from Wisconsin, Ohio and other states. A few chains, including Buffalo Wild Wings and Quaker Steak and Lube, participated, too.
More information about the contest can be found at buffalowing.com.