The folks from Coca-Cola invited Neil Sobeck to the Detroit Lions' game against Tampa Bay, and everyone happily plowed through pizza, pretzels and hot dogs while the Lions ate the Buccaneers' lunch.

Come Sunday, when Detroit hits the road to face San Francisco, Sobeck will be ordering his usual for the gathering at his house in Royal Oak: chicken wings, chicken bites, broasted potatoes. Maybe some chicken fingers for the kids.

That only makes sense. His grandparents, John and Iola, founded the Chicken Shack restaurant chain in 1956 — a year before Detroit won its most recent NFL championship. Sobeck is the vice president.

Much as the Lions have become more than a football team, though, a measuring stick for hope and giddiness, chicken has become more than just something to fry, grill or bake.

If you’re inclined, you can dispute the reported fiscal impact of the two playoff games this month in Detroit, said to be worth anywhere from $20 to $52 million apiece.

But the Chicken Economic Indicator is unconditional.

“We’re absolutely seeing a boost,” Sobeck said. Specifically, "there's a 15-20% increase during the Lions playoff games across the chain, so we are definitely seeing a real bump in sales."

With 23 stores, that's a lot of extra chicken. Meantime, at Gratiot Central Market in Detroit, owner Tom Bedway of Ronnie's Meats says the price of chicken wings has risen 30% in the past few weeks, not that he's squawking.

"We're getting a push on pricing and a bit of a shortage right now," Bedway said. "Supply and demand."

Bedway, 62, has been going to Lions games since that meant getting snowed on at Tiger Stadium. He’s enough of a football fan that his wife knows not to schedule anything for playoff weekends, even in those years when Detroit has been out of contention since October.

“It was a given that they were in some way going to break your heart,” he said.

Now here they are, one win away from playing in the Super Bowl.

Truth is, Bedway was so confident going into the season that be placed a sizable bet on them at a casino to win more than nine games. Easy money.

A few months later, everyone is talking about the Lions, bonding over them, and eating hand-held snacks.

“People want to share this with other people,” he said, but “they don’t want to cook. No one wants to get caught washing dishes when there’s a big play. They want pizza, they want subs, they want wings.”

The price increase is natural and national, said Eric Grossinger of KAPS Wholesale in Detroit. The next price drop in the cycle will be natural, too.

What's unusual this time of year is to have the Lions as the inspiration for tailgates, parties and bustling bars.

"Our demand is up," Grossinger said — the Chicken Economic Indicator in action.

"Everybody and their mother wants wings," he said. "Your friends want more wings. Al's Corner Bar wants more wings."

Everyone wants them but Grossinger, it turns out. In a voice still hoarse from the Tampa Bay game, he said he prefers St. Louis ribs.

But his warehouse is wheeling out wings, the perfect accompaniment for winning.

Reach Neal Rubin with your Lions tales and observations at NARubin@freepress.com. Reach his heart with wings — but OK, St. Louis ribs are good, too.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: As Lions keep winning, chicken sales take flight