WingPlace was recognized this week for two decades of serving wings in Aiken. Opened in December 2006 by Dick and Laurel Dickerson, the neighborhood restaurant marked its 20-year milestone and plans continuing celebrations over the next four months, keeping monthly staples Wingo, Trivia and Burn the Bill Night in the mix.
For context on that longevity: Bureau of Labor Statistics data compiled by bplanwriter shows 83.1% of restaurants survive their first year, 51.4% survive five years, and 34.6% survive ten. WingPlace has cleared the ten-year survival bar and continued another decade.
South Carolina’s eating-and-drinking places are projected to contribute $24.81 billion in direct economic output to the state in 2025 while supporting 251,803 jobs, according to the National Restaurant Association’s South Carolina economic impact study. And Aiken County itself has seen a business-formation surge — 2,616 business applications filed in 2025, up 11.0% year over year, per Census Bureau Business Formation Statistics as compiled by smallbusinessstatistics.com.
S.C. State Sen. Tom Young was among those marking the 20-year anniversary this week.
