East Village residents say Wingstop's fried chicken odor is unbearable

NEW YORK - Some East Village residents are complaining that their condos constantly smell like fried chicken--and they say a new Wingstop around the corner is to blame.

"All day every day the residents get to smell chicken and french fries and feel like they’re wearing grease," says condo owner, Lawton Taylor. "And it’s not when we’re on our balcony it’s even when we’re sitting in our homes."

Taylor has owned his condo on 13th street in the East Village since 2008. This year, in the late spring, a Wingstop opened at 426 E. 14th street directly behind his building--and that’s when the air quality started to really ruffle his feathers.

"I was sitting on the balcony and all of a sudden, I felt like I was wearing grease and the smell of french fries and chicken was overwhelming," Taylor said.

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Lawton claims he quickly realized the smell was coming from a ventilation system on the back of Wingstop’s roof and a large duct that's aimed directly at Lawton's condo, including the units below him and above him.

"It happens so quickly, that you really don’t know it’s happened until it hits you," adds Taylor.

It’s also a situation that’s become unbearable with the heat.

"First of all, I should get to use my exterior space--so that’s a problem, but even when I close the door in this heat when I turn on the air-conditioning--it’s pulling air from the outside."

Taylor has stepped up as the point person for his condo association and has tried to get answers through calls, emails and swinging by in person--but it's gotten him nowhere.

In a statement to FOX 5 NY— a spokesperson for the wing chain said quote: "Wingstop has been made aware of this matter and is actively working to find a solution."

This particular establishment is corporate-owned and not a franchise.