BUFFALO WILD WINGS
Buffalo Wild Wings franchises sports entertainment-oriented casual/fast casual restaurants called Sports Bars, featuring chicken wings, sandwiches, other food products, and beverages including alcoholic drinks, prepared according to proprietary recipes and served in a distinctive environment with sports viewing. The business model involves granting franchise agreements for single units or area developments, with franchisees operating under the Buffalo Wild Wings System and Trademarks, including options for non-traditional and multi-brand locations. The target market is the general public seeking casual dining, carry-out, delivery, and sports entertainment experiences.
Franchise Costs
5% royalty + 3.75-4% ad fund + $45-90/mo fixed fees (contactless payment, learning system, menu support, co-op accounting)
Financial Performance
Item 19 Financial Performance
Data Based On: 527 franchised Buffalo Wild Wings Sports Bars (called the “2024 Franchised Sports Bars") providing AUVs during 2024, including 5 non-traditional locations, and excluding 8 units not open for the full year and 2 units that closed in 2024.
* All average and median revenue figures are directly extracted from the provided tables. The reported overall average gross revenue of $3,567,504 was verified by calculating the weighted average of the quartile averages using their respective unit counts (132 units * $5,098,086 + 131 units * $3,797,180 + 132 units * $3,085,739 + 132 units * $2,290,751) / 527 total units = $3,567,504.01. No profit figures were calculated as the document explicitly states that financial performance representations do not reflect costs of sales, operating expenses, or other costs to obtain net income or profit.
Extracted Item 19 Section
How BUFFALO WILD WINGS Compares
Key Insights
- Higher investment than 82% of Casual Dining franchises
- #2 largest franchise system in Casual Dining
- One of the lowest SBA loan default rates in Casual Dining
| Franchise | Investment | Fee | Royalty | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
BUFFALO WILD WINGS Current | $2.5M – $4.9M | $25K | 5.0% | 538 |
| IHOP & INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES | $1.8M – $4.5M | $69K | N/A | 1,703 |
| GOLDEN CORRAL STEAKS, BUFFET & BAKERY | $2.1M – $8.5M | $50K | 4.0% | 352 |
| GOLDEN CORRAL | $2.2M – $8.7M | $50K | 4.0% | 348 |
| ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSE (THE) | $483K – $1.7M | $60K | 2.0% | 146 |
| Outback Steakhouse | $4.3M – $9.0M | $40K | 5.0% | 122 |
Casual Dining Average 44 franchises | $1.5M – $3.5M | $43K | 4.6% | – |
* Comparison based on latest FDD filings. Investment ranges from Item 7, fees from Item 5. Showing top 5 of 44 Casual Dining franchises by location count.
Locations & Growth
Outlet Growth Over Time
Total outlets at end of each year
Geographic Distribution (2024)
Outlets by state across the United States
+24 more states
SBA Loan History
Historical SBA 7(a) loan data for BUFFALO WILD WINGS franchisees (2010 – 2025)
Loans by Year
SBA 7(a) loan activity over time
* Data sourced from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records. Default rate calculated from charged-off loans.
Franchisee Contacts
538 franchisee contacts on file from official FDD filings.
| Name | SBA Loan |
|---|---|
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
John Smith ABC Franchise LLC | $350,000 2023 · Active |
538 Contacts Available
Unlock all BUFFALO WILD WINGS franchisee contacts with verified contact information
Due Diligence
Litigation (Item 3)
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
System Health (Item 20)
Franchise system changes reported in the most recent fiscal year
Frequently Asked Questions
The total initial investment to open a BUFFALO WILD WINGS franchise ranges from $2,450,345 to $4,883,320. This includes a franchise fee of $25,000. Ongoing royalty fees are 5.0% of gross sales.
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