Judge Dismisses Boneless Wings Lawsuit vs Buffalo Wild Wings

A federal judge in Chicago has dismissed a class action lawsuit accusing Buffalo Wild Wings of misleading customers by labeling its boneless wings as such, ruling that the term does not deceive reasonable consumers. The decision, issued Tuesday by U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp Jr. of the Northern District of Illinois, ends a three-year legal battle sparked by a Chicago man's claim that the product is essentially breaded chicken breast rather than deboned wing meat.

The lawsuit was filed in 2023 by Aimen Halim, who alleged he purchased boneless wings at a Buffalo Wild Wings location in Mount Prospect, Illinois, in January of that year. Halim, represented by the Los Angeles-based law firm Treehouse Law, contended that the restaurant chain violated the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act, along with claims of common law fraud, unjust enrichment, and breach of express warranty. He sought damages and injunctive relief on behalf of a nationwide class of similarly affected customers, arguing that the name "boneless wings" led him to believe he was buying actual chicken wings with the bones removed. Had he known the items were made from cheaper breast meat, Halim said, he would have paid...