Editor's note: This story is part of Southwest Michigan Second Wave's On the Ground Battle Creek series.

BATTLE CREEK, MI — Charles Solano makes no bones about the success of a new chicken wings restaurant he’s opening in April in Urbandale.

Already the owner of five Biggby Coffee shops in Calhoun County with a total of 85 employees, Solano is no stranger to what it takes to operate profitable businesses. He’s applying this knowledge to his latest business venture called Time to Wing It. He says he likes to challenge himself mentally and physically.

Of Time to Wing It he says, “I want to build a brand. I want to make it about the people. I like to be in the community helping organizations and individuals. I have a giver's mindset and I leverage that to get people into my Biggby stores. Time to Wing It will be a community place.”

John GrapThe building that will house Time To Wing It was once home to several donut shops.Community is very important to Solano. Biggby’s focus on supporting the communities they’re in is what got Solano involved nine years ago as a franchise owner.

“When I found Biggby, it was everything I love,” he says.

His Biggby customers tell him that while he may think they come in for the coffee, they also enjoy being treated with kindness, courtesy, and respect.

“We send people away feeling better,” Solano says. “Customer service is number one to me. What we offer doesn’t have to be through the roof. It’s the way they are taken care of that keeps people coming back.”

This focus on customers is what will set Time to Wing It apart from other chicken-wing-themed eateries, he says, “That and our proprietary sauces and a good wholesome menu.”

John GrapThe building that will house Time To Wing It was once home to several donut shops.The new restaurant, which occupies a 2,000-square-foot space in the former Blessed Bakery location at 1567 Michigan Avenue West, will serve traditional bone-in chicken wings as its signature dish. There also will be a regular or spicy chicken sandwich, grilled chicken options, and French fries. Customers will be able to select from three dry rubs and 12 sauces for their wings, including a proprietary Time to Wing It sauce.

Rounding out the menu will be four different flavors of cheese curds, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, cole slaw, and Churro Bites, a dessert item that is fried and coated with a sugar mixture. There will also be menu options for children.

The restaurant will have six tables and a 55-person seating capacity. Solano is anticipating the majority of his business to be take-out, along with Doordash and GrubHub.

John GrapTime To Wing It’s logo was designed by Richard "Dick" Schlatter, a Battle Creek graphic designer and artist.He wanted to have “wings” somewhere in the restaurant’s name but says a lot of other wings eateries already have things trademarked around wings.

Despite the presence in the community of these other restaurants, Solano says he has a high level of confidence in his newest business venture. He and his wife, who works for Kellogg Co. and is a silent partner in Time To Wing It, did their research and concluded that this was a low-risk opportunity that should be acted on.

The relatively simple menu with sandwiches priced around $7 and the popularity of chicken wings as an option for sports parties or tailgates make this type of finger food an attractive option that the couple intends to capitalize on.

“I feel like this fits on that side of town. Failure is not an option for me,” Solano says. “I’ve heard and seen about the number of restaurants that have closed and I even had one lender I talked to tell me that ‘We don’t want to talk about restaurants right now.’ I don’t accept that as my truth. People are always coming in at challenging times.”

He credits Dave Morgan and Jim Bloomfield, two local businessmen, with helping him as he pivoted from coffee to wings. Bloomfield owned the building that houses the restaurant and offered it to Solano for a “decent price.” His wife, Sandy, who owns and operates Julianna’s restaurant in Kalamazoo, provided her expertise and taught him what he needed to know about running this type of business.

“John GrapTime To Wing It will open by the end of April or early May on West Michigan Avenue in Urbandale.Jim is the restaurant food mentor. He's the one who came to me last summer and said, Charles, I’ve got an idea.’ We trust each other and between the two of us there’s a lot of knowledge here. I told Jim and Dave that if they gave me their expertise, I can’t fail with this.”

But, when it comes down to it, the restaurant’s success will depend on Solano, a Marine Corps veteran, who has put a focus on leadership skills. He co-owns Rhodium Leadership Academy which is targeted at small businesses and people who want to start them with sessions held at one of his Biggby locations.

Solano says he’s built his Biggby store operations to where he can now be the chief maintenance person and business coach for his employees which gives him time to focus on the Urbandale eatery.

“Eventually, I want this to be a franchise and grow it nationwide,” he says. “The only way I can do that is if I’m in the trenches. I climbed the ladder at Biggy and now I’m going back down. This is all new to me.”