WING IT It’s a Mom-andSon operation at Wing It with Byron and Sharon Gover.
busy, people would wait until we could heat it back up.” Fast forward to 2003, and he brought his successful business to Pell City, where he has remained ever since. “Wings were the thing that began us on the road trip to where we are now,” he says. The menu has expanded since those early days, and catering for events like weddings — large and small, classic, contemporary and elegant — is all in a day’s work now for Gover and his family. Today’s menu reaches well beyond the traditional Buffalo Wings with 21 flavors, sporting names like Cajun Ranch, Honey Barbecue, Terriyaki and Lemon Pepper. The recipes came from his uncles, aunts and cousins gathering in Wing It’s kitchen to decide on just the right consistency. A simple “that’ll work” from the taste testers translated into a seal of approval, and a wing recipe was born. Five types of burgers alongside fries like Bacon Cheese Ranch and Cajun Cheese Ranch tell the customer this is no ordinary takeout or eat-in. But wings are still the main event. On Iron Bowl weekend, it is not uncommon to see — pardon the metaphor — 3,000 wings fly out the door. He has a close kinship with the community, supporting schools and civic events, and his success is seen in the number of returning customers. “Communicating with the public is better than the food,” he says. “It’s how you treat people. They’ll come back.” But he quickly adds, “If the food is good, it’s a double whammy.” On Sundays, you’ll find him pastoring Christian Vision Center, a multipurpose building that also can be used as an event venue for large, catered events. His mother oversees that end of the business, providing “everything it takes to have a wedding,” from versatile menus served on something as simple as paper plates to fine china and silverware. “Catering is her passion,” Gover says. “God’s still blessing us, and we’re still growing.” Most small businesses are called “Mom and Pop,” he says with that signature smile again. “We’re Mom and Son, and our success lies in the number of people who return.”
18 • DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair | February - March 2013
Catering is now a part of the business plan.
It’s not just wings at Wing It.