The award-winning food truck, New Wing Order, will no longer be seen driving around Memphis. 

Owner Jesse McDonald announced his decision to shut down the food truck on social media Friday, Aug. 9, after six years on the streets of Memphis. 

“It’s been really fun but so hard,” McDonald said in the post. “I’m so incredibly proud of what we have built.” 

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McDonald said the costs of operating the business, specifically food truck maintenance and the price of chicken, contributed to his decision. 

“Sales were not really the issue,” McDonald said. “We saw a few trends that were going down a little bit... but the main issue was the costs.” 

He said since the food truck was older, it was constantly in the shop and became too expensive to maintain. McDonald said he recently spent $5,000 on truck repairs. 

“We’ve just kept having to put it in the shop, and not only does that cost you the expense of it, but also costs you the sales that you would get if you were out serving,” McDonald said. “That really hurt us.” 

McDonald said the food truck started having financial struggles about a year ago when they left the kitchen at Ghost River Brewery Co.

In 2022, New Wing Order partnered with the local brewery to operate out of their kitchen at 341 Beale St. But McDonald said after several incidents on Beale Street, customer traffic declined, and so did sales. 

“I really wish we could have made Beale Street work,” McDonald said. “It just seemed that people weren’t coming to Downtown nearly as much.” 

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McDonald's partnership with Ghost River Brewery owner Bob Keskey is still strong. McDonald said he has been working with Keskey to brainstorm ideas to keep the New Wing Order alive. 

McDonald said he will be the chef at the newly upgraded Ghost River Brewery & Taproom at 827 S. Main St. when it opens this fall. He plans to stay at Ghost River for at least the next year or so to save money and take a mental break from being a business owner — but he said it’s just a break. 

“I need a little break, and I’m looking forward to working for someone else for a while,” McDonald said. “But I still have that itch to be an entrepreneur.” 

The future of New Wing Order is unknown, but McDonald said he is not ready to give up on the business.

He said the online response to his post was overwhelmingly positive, solidifying his decision to bring back New Wing Order one day. 

“With all the response from everybody online yesterday (Aug. 9), I was like, ‘I really need to find a way to make it back,” McDonald said. “I’m really motivated.”

McDonald said the responses to his announcement made him emotional. As a hands-on owner, he knew the regulars who were sharing their memories online, but seeing the responses from those he didn’t know made him even more grateful. 

“Someone commented that they live in (Los Angeles), and every time they come to Memphis, they seek us out for their favorite chicken in the world. It meant so much to me.”

Jesse McDonald
New Wing Order owner

“Someone commented that they live in (Los Angeles), and every time they come to Memphis, they seek us out for their favorite chicken in the world,” McDonald said. “It meant so much to me.” 

McDonald has had a few inquiries about selling the business, but he said the brand and concept are still passions of his. 

“It would have to be a perfect scenario for me to sell the business,” McDonald said. “I still want (the brand and concept) to be mine, even though I have to take a break right now.” 

Memphis will still see New Wing Order in competitions, as McDonald said they are going back to their roots and participating in hot-wing and barbecue festivals.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back to (competitions),” McDonald said. “We still do it, but not nearly as much as we did when we started.” 

New Wing Order originally started 10 years ago as a hot wing competition team by Cole Forrest, who was also a business partner in the food truck. Forrest took a step back from the food truck a year ago but was involved as a silent partner. 

Forrest and McDonald are now leading the team again, along with family and friends, on their competition team. 

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McDonald has many ideas for bringing back the New Wing Order, even if it’s not a food truck. 

McDonald said he is looking into pursuing a part-time catering operation for New Wing Order in 2025 after he gets back on his feet. 

“I definitely have dreams to bring it back in a catering capacity,” McDonald said. “We have a decent amount of catering clients and a fun game day catering menu, and it does pretty well.” 

He said there is also potential for collaboration with Ghost River and New Wing Order, such as a pop-up night or special menu items using his recipes, but there are no set plans. 

“I don’t know if we’re going to put any New Wing Order directly on the menu, but I’ll definitely have some input and my hands on the food,” McDonald said. 

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McDonald said he has thought about selling the bottles of New Wing Order’s award-winning Memphis Buffalo Hot Sauce and its honey gold sauce, “Grind City Gold,” again but is unsure when that would happen. 

“I still have dreams for New Wing Order,” McDonald said in the post. “I hope I can bring it back in some kind of capacity some day. I’m not done yet.”