Ikonic Wings in Lacey - Consistently Crispy, Unforgettably Unique
Once you’ve had an Ikonic Wing, it becomes clear pretty quickly that Kelly Wynn knew what she was doing when she chose the name for her new restaurant. There is something legendary and unforgettable about these wings, and you better prepare yourself for the onslaught of flavors and shatteringly crispy texture that can only come from a double-dipped wing.
Sharing Love - Feeding People
Kelly is by nature a giver. She shares her love through her food, but also by investing in and giving back to her community. Ikonic Wings opened its doors in the The Landing at Hawks Prairie in Lacey in November of 2022. They may be the new kid on the block, but they’re quickly becoming a local favorite. And while this is Kelly’s first brick-and-mortar store, she’s spent a lifetime in the kitchen – first at her grandmother’s side, and then as a cook in the military for 22 years.
“My grandmother was the head cook at a hotel restaurant for over 40 years,” Kelly recalls as she removed a bucket of marinated chicken from the walk-in and got her station prepped for breading the wings. “I used to watch her cook all the time and I remember liking how her food brought people together and made them happy. Food does that, especially if it’s good food.”
![A collage of images taken at Ikonic Wings in Lacey, Washington](https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/blog-photos/ikonic-wings-01.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=20d40269c8ea9137f0be9eaff80cc493 320w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/blog-photos/ikonic-wings-01.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=dc0f8abe46c02eae5a1f93d7d180baa6 540w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/blog-photos/ikonic-wings-01.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=12d607a118f3eb010442b129a5e0eeb4 768w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/blog-photos/ikonic-wings-01.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=69c593e9f8a2c88390b524f0d17ff327 1024w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/blog-photos/ikonic-wings-01.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=2f59ece00218e87175d1aaac4a8ecacc 1200w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/blog-photos/ikonic-wings-01.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=4e0717eabed0eead4ca188294b929120 1440w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/blog-photos/ikonic-wings-01.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=b2a0951f66040a12c193a8a278b2aad6 1920w)
Kelly didn’t grow up with a lot of the things that make life comfortable, but her family always had big family meals and under her grandmother’s instruction, she fell in love with cooking. When she entered the military, she naturally gravitated toward the kitchen. The early mornings and large-scale volume were challenging, but Kelly stuck to her path of using food to bring people together.
Chicken Wings as an Art Form
What makes these wings “ikonic”? Kelly marinates them in buttermilk, then dips them not just once in flour seasoned with her special spices, but twice, giving the wings that incredible crispiness they’re known for. There are no frozen, pre-breaded wings going out of her shop. Kelly and her small team, including husband Jerry, do everything by hand. Wings are cooked fresh to order, then either hand-dipped in the sauce of your choosing, like Dmac’s Badass Buffalo or Sweet Blaze (our favorite) or tossed with a dry-rub of salt and vinegar or buffalo lemon pepper (you must get this if you know what’s good for you).
![Breaded fried chicken waiting to be cooked.](https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/blog-photos/ikonic-wings-03.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=fe6ce55280e255b792a5d8b722481034 320w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/blog-photos/ikonic-wings-03.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=9eb31e7fb414a7defa6a6f3ba998801b 540w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/blog-photos/ikonic-wings-03.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=ebfb741102bdbd38f4ff0d8b4f5896b7 768w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/blog-photos/ikonic-wings-03.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=a5a65ec3a1ecb6b7a74a762221b46d03 1024w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/blog-photos/ikonic-wings-03.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=9170ae0e78a8f304c5ecaf192ed1a3a7 1200w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/blog-photos/ikonic-wings-03.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=10403a86a31e19f898078521fcf1fd6e 1440w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/blog-photos/ikonic-wings-03.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=85af09de101228c59b140e9ddc04b44d 1920w)
Kelly’s got the timing so spot on that she’ll drop the wings into the fryer and set the timer (she cooks her wings a bit longer for that extra crunch). At the four-minute mark she’ll drop the waddles. What’s a waddle? Something a chicken kind of does, if you think about it, but in this case, it’s Ikonic’s take on a twisty, seasoned potato wedge that comes with the wings when you order a combo. With a few minutes left on the clock she slathers a home-made buttermilk biscuit with honey butter and pops it in the warmer. Fresh from the kitchen, these wings will stay crispy until you get them home … if they make it that far.
Giving Back - Building Community
When her time in the military came to a close, Kelly knew she wanted to open a restaurant. “I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur, I just couldn’t find the time because we were constantly moving around in the military.” When she retired, she new she didn’t want to work for anybody else but herself. She had a lot of ideas, but she kept coming back to her love of nurturing people through food, and Ikonic Wings came to life.
Kelly also has an insatiable passion for making other people better. “Whenever I can, I try to give back in any way I can, especially to youth and young professionals. I’m happy when I’m helping to support those causes,” she shares. She’s also passionate about supporting elderly people in need and supporting the American Cancer Society, experiencing first-hand friends and family who are dealing with cancer. Having a small staff means Kelly is at the fryer often, so being able to take time to support those causes is really important to her.
![A staff member rings up food at the counter at Ikonic Wings](https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/ikonic-wings-02.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=00d432897551847b32d367fff34c538f 320w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/ikonic-wings-02.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=f9dad622482aae17bbea208f1836267d 540w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/ikonic-wings-02.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=3fe7917b0bea2bbbb08b72ba5bd4dda4 768w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/ikonic-wings-02.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=134133773f869cbe2de1d77deb98f832 1024w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/ikonic-wings-02.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=5a189977dca7c77b717aa17f69a0e064 1200w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/ikonic-wings-02.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=ac560aaf9e4cef4b72d36e45f627b4f5 1440w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/ikonic-wings-02.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=ec163d757dbc4f243515ff51bea4e354 1920w)
Exceptional Service = Repeat Customers
Just as important to Kelly as double-dipping her chicken is her attention to providing quality customer service to her customers. “We make sure that we provide the best customer service possible by making sure we’re always focused on the quality of your food and making sure it’s consistent,” she shares. “At the end of the day, we just really want to make sure you’ve had an unforgettably good food experience with us.” The highlight for Kelly is when people see them as a loyal business that gives back to the community. Her advice to others wanting to start their own business? “Dream it, believe it, activate it – and never listen to the naysayers. I’m not saying following your dream will be easy, but if you stay focused on your goal, you can make it happen.”
![Oil in a deep fryer bubbles](https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/ikonic-wings-04.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=e2f554de4f495f63626bbe4341d1037a 320w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/ikonic-wings-04.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=6b70db776fc6c98b3ba8f3c88876e534 540w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/ikonic-wings-04.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=f3d60f5d5a04570bd928c56b10ef5576 768w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/ikonic-wings-04.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=9373a3a0a842738bd648d39fdcd64f66 1024w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/ikonic-wings-04.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=ecbe252d11866770c0fe3390155e06a1 1200w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/ikonic-wings-04.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=017f256860e09b24a6f754e5d72c2ccd 1440w, https://experience-olympia.imgix.net/images/ikonic-wings-04.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=bcfd76dc10775cdd5d44304a078ab7e6 1920w)
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Ikonic Wings
1110 GALAXY DR NE, F Lacey, Washington 98516 (360) 539-7147