The creator of the Buffalo Wing is opening a new restaurant in Myrtle Beach. Here’s where

The inventors of the Buffalo chicken wing are bringing their original recipe to the Myrtle Beach area.

Anchor Bar, which Time Magazine says served the first plate of Buffalo chicken wings in Buffalo, New York, in 1964, is opening a new location in Myrtle Beach. The location, 6401 North Kings Highway, could be ready by late May or early June, Michelle Buchholz, Anchor Bar’s director of operations and marketing, said in an interview.

She added that there is no official opening day yet because work is ongoing, but the company will hire more than 100 people for the site.

Buchholz said the new restaurant will have a sports bar and a family atmosphere. Anchor Bar will have 40 big screen televisions allowing people to watch sporting events or other things of interest. The restaurant will also offer a children’s menu and will also offer pizzas, salads and burgers in addition to its staples.

Buchholz also recommended newcomers try the original medium wings, the founding flavor used in 1964. She added that the restaurant also wants to serve locally brewed beers as well as its standard draft beers and Northwest staples of New York State like Labatt and Genesee. Anchor Bar will also replace a popular Grand Strand seafood restaurant that closed at the end of 2023.

Mr. Fish, open for nearly 15 years, closed its doors in August 2023, The Sun News reported at the time. In a now-deleted Facebook post, Mr. Fish’s owner cited increased competition as a problem the restaurant was facing. Even if the restaurant on the property changes, the owner of the place remains the same.

According to Horry County Land Records, the same entity has owned the land since 2014 and its market value is over $1 million.

The new restaurant is part of a growing trend of restaurants and amenities opening along the Grand Strand, catering to residents who originally lived in the northeastern United States.

Pizzerias offering New York and New Haven-style pies, specializing in thin-crust, crispy, slightly overcooked dishes, opened their doors. Italian Ice and Pennsylvania bakeries also began offering options to the region’s large northeastern population. Indeed, South Carolina has seen an influx of newcomers from the Northeast, as the New York Times reported in April 2024.

Myrtle Beach area real estate professionals say the influx is partly due to the cheaper cost of living, four-season climate and closer proximity to home than states like Florida.