The gourmet chicken wing takeout kitchen founded by Rashaan and Marlene Taylor of Cherry Hill officially welcomes patrons with a grand opening Sunday at noon.
By Matt Skoufalos | June 9, 2023
Rashaan Taylor in the kitchen at Taylor Wings. Credit: Matt Skoufalos.
Inside the gleaming interior of his brand new kitchen, Rashaan Taylor is about an hour away from cutting the ribbon on the latest eatery to open in Merchantville.
At his prep station, Taylor is mixing up the ingredients for the first batches of wings to be sold from the takeout window beneath the sign with his name on it.
After the better part of three years, a global pandemic, and the work of four or five contractors, the look of the kitchen at Taylor Wings finally matches the vision of the chef within it.
“It took a while,” Taylor said. “It was a lot of work.
“I’d be lying to you if I told you at times I didn’t get discouraged, I didn’t get frustrated, I didn’t know this was going to work,” he said. “I stayed true to my dreams; I persevered.”
Now Taylor hopes to leverage that perseverance to build a local brand around the flavors he’s been honing since childhood.
“I was always born into the lifestyle of culinary,” he said. “I got my desire to pursue my dreams because numerous people in my family knew how to cook, and that knowledge was passed on to me.”
A native of Queens, Taylor considered himself a wing connoisseur from a young age. In high school, his friends would come over just to see the different sauces he’d whip up. Then they’d ask him to make trays for their parties. Soon enough, a reputation was forged.
“They call me the sauce man.” Taylor said. “I love playing with different types of sauces and experimenting.”
After moving to Cherry Hill, Taylor started helping out a friend’s restaurant, Sicklerville Soul. The experience got him thinking, “I want to start my own thing.”
Rashaan and Marlene Taylor in the kitchen at Taylor Wings. Credit: Matt Skoufalos.
“I’m adamant about preparing good food for people,” Taylor said; “seeing that excitement in their face.
“I like bringing joy to people, and I like to watch people enjoy what I present them.
“It’s truly my passion.”
Taylor also retained an unshakeable belief in chicken wings as a bulletproof food concept.
Discerning diners will travel for the right recipe, and debate whose wings are the best across a variety of factors.
“People take pride in what they eat,” Taylor said.
“You’ve got a lot of people trying to find the right spot.
“We feel like we can bring something different to the community that has not yet seen it,” he said.
Whether bone-in, boneless, or in a sandwich, the chicken at Taylor Wings competes on the strength of his sauces. With 17 different varieties, including sweet Buffalo, lemon pepper, honey chipotle, Nashville, garlic butter old bay, garlic parmesan, bang bang, and General Tso, the flavor list is formidable, and growing.
The same recipes also pep up vegan tofu and cauliflower wings. Taylor’s commitment to preventing cross-contamination means he maintains separate fryers for vegan (French fries, tofu, cauliflower) and non-vegan products (chicken wings, breasts, and nuggets).
“I’m on a clean process,” he said.
Taylor Wings reflects its commitment to vegan customers with a separate fryer. Credit: Matt Skoufalos.
There’s also a kids menu, featuring mozzarella sticks, vegan chicken nuggets, and regular crispy chicken nuggets, plus homemade JayElla homemade strawberry lemonade, named for the Taylors’ daughters, Jaylyn and Oriella.
For Marlene Taylor, opening the doors in Merchantville is the latest step in building a family business that began around the kitchen table in 2018, and could lay the groundwork for multiple locations in the future.
“We started this in 2018 at our home, and now we’re here,” she said. “It feels amazing. It’s been a long journey.
“We can’t wait to bring good food to the community.”
Taylor Wings is located at 177 South Centre Street in Merchantville, in Trellis Plaza. All orders are takeout only.
Hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Extended hours and online ordering will follow.
For more information, call 856-816-1575, visit taylorwings.net, or find them on Instagram and Facebook.
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