Start a Buffalo Wild Wings Franchise in 2025

2025 Franchise 500 Rank: #151 Ranked #195 last year

Initial investment: $2.9M - $4.8M

Units as of 2024: 1,250 1% over 3 years

Are you ready to get wild with your wings? Then Buffalo Wild Wings may be the franchise for you!

Wings, beer, sports—the three things Buffalo Wild Wings is most known for. Founded in 1982 and franchising since 1991, Buffalo Wild Wings has become one of the largest casual dining restaurants in the world. With franchises in the U.S., Canada, India, Mexico, Oman, Panama, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam, they are dedicated to bringing casual dining to everyone. They specialize in wings and specialty sauces.

There are over 500 Buffalo Wild Wings franchises in the U.S., as well as over 50 internationally. Buffalo Wild Wings also boasts over 650 company-owned locations.

As you run your franchise, you may be able to provide quality meals to your neighborhood. The perfect candidate for a Buffalo Wild Wings franchisee is someone who has a passion for good food, bringing people together, and building a business.

Why You May Want to Start a Buffalo Wild Wings Franchise

If you love the idea of serving up delicious chicken and a good time, then opening a Buffalo Wild Wings franchise may be for you. As a part of the Inspire Brands family, you'll have to comply with their recipe and service standards. However, creativity may be encouraged when it comes to your décor, customer reward, and promotion plans. There also may be a lot of room for more unique and authentic dishes depending on location as long as the classic Buffalo Wild Wings foods and sauces stay on the menu.

As a Buffalo Wild Wings franchisee, you may join a global network of casual dining restaurants that are all striving to provide affordable food everyone can enjoy. You'll likely provide a place for people and families to come together and enjoy a great meal in a casual and fun environment.

What Might Make a Buffalo Wild Wings Franchise a Good Choice?

To be part of the Buffalo Wild Wings team, you should make sure you’re financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. You should also prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

Being a leading casual dining restaurant, Buffalo Wild Wings may have both the notoriety and the global market to provide you with an operational business. Their restaurant stores may be well-known throughout the world, and they've earned a good reputation. With their training and global advertising network, your franchise could be going places in no time.

They also strive to have a great work culture, exclusive recipes, and a network of supportive and loyal customers.

How To Open a Buffalo Wild Wings Franchise

To start a Buffalo Wild Wings franchise, you should first submit an inquiry form.

Before making any financial commitment or signing an agreement, you must perform your due diligence and establish if this is the right opportunity for you. Speak to existing franchisees and ask questions directed to the Buffalo Wild Wings team. If your net worth and available liquid capital match the brand’s requirements, you may qualify to open a Buffalo Wild Wings franchise, and you can get started with an initial investment and relevant training.

If all goes well, you may soon bring a Buffalo Wild Wings franchise to your community!

Company Overview

About Buffalo Wild Wings

Industry	Food
Related Categories	Sports Bars/Pubs, Miscellaneous Full-Service Restaurants, Chicken
Founded	1982
Parent Company	Inspire Brands
Leadership	John Bowie, Brand President
Corporate Address	3 Glenlake Pkwy. N.E. Atlanta, GA 30328
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1991 (34 years)
# of employees at HQ	3,000
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises worldwide.
# of Units	1,250 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a Buffalo Wild Wings franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$12,500 - $25,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$2,875,845 - $4,830,320
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$1,500,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$750,000
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	5%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	1.875%-4%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	20 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	Buffalo Wild Wings has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	210 hours
Classroom Training	40 hours
Ongoing Support	Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	40-60
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	No