Two Bay Ridge brothers have opened up a wing shop in Coney Island, fulfilling their father’s lifelong dream of his sons owning a family business together.
Early last year, the Alassari siblings — Taha and Talal, both working in education — made the decision to pivot to the restaurant industry. The pair was working remotely since the start of the pandemic, at which time they began crafting the blueprint of what would become their first joint business.
Leading with their love of food, the Alassaris opened Coney Island House of Wings in March 2021. Being born and raised in Brooklyn, they wanted to launch an eatery that would add to the fun culture of the iconic peninsula.
“We decided to build off of the Coney Island name,” Taha said. “It’s very New York and it’s our culture.”
The pair currently serves up an array of finger-lickin’ chicken at the Ocean Parkway eatery, as well as burgers, fried Oreos and loaded up waffle fry bowls.
Though they both went into teaching after college, the Alassari brothers were eager to start something new.
“It’s been a lot of hard work. Everyday it’s non-stop. You can gotta be alert 24/7,” Talal told Brooklyn Paper. “You gotta make sure everything’s perfect because one bad review could really hurt your business.”
Both brothers admit that there were challenges to overcome in beginning their journey. According to Taha, starting a business requires more attention to detail than he originally thought.
“You may think you just need a good idea and some money but it’s so much more,” he said.
The two were inspired to keep going by their father, whose deli they grew up helping out in. Taha said maintaining their father’s legacy has been their main motivation.
“He always wanted us to have something and work together,” he said. “When we started and he saw the early success I could tell he was really proud of us.”
Shortly after seeing their success, Taha and Talal’s father died of cancer. Now, the Alassari brothers are doing all they can to make their family proud.
“He taught us a lot — how to run a business, how to approach your business, how to work hard.” said Talal. “He definitely helped us a lot and we’re trying to continue his legacy.”
As House of Wings’ frequent customers grew, Talal left his teaching job to co-run the business full time. Now the two are focusing on creating a diverse menu that continues to satisfy their customers.
Earlier this year, the Alassari brothers celebrated one year in business.
“We sincerely appreciate all the support we have received along to way,” the pair wrote in a post on social media. “Your patience during our growing pains and continued support means the world to us.”
Coney Island House of Wings is located at 3100 Ocean Parkway, and is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and weekends from noon to 10 p.m.
