History of Buffalo Wild Wings in Timeline

Buffalo Wild Wings (often abbreviated as BW3) is a well-known American casual dining restaurant and sports bar franchise. Its core offering centers around chicken wings with a variety of sauces and seasonings. These restaurants are designed to be a social gathering place, particularly for sports enthusiasts, with numerous televisions broadcasting sporting events. The chain emphasizes a lively atmosphere, combining food, drinks, and sports entertainment. Buffalo Wild Wings has a significant presence across the United States and in some international markets.

1982: Buffalo Wild Wings & Weck (BW3) Founded

In 1982, James Disbrow and Scott Lowery founded Buffalo Wild Wings & Weck (BW3) in Kent, Ohio, after struggling to find a restaurant that served Buffalo-style chicken wings. They chose a location near Ohio State University in Columbus. The "Weck" in the name referred to beef on weck, a sandwich that was originally on the menu.

1992: BWW began to franchise

In 1992, Buffalo Wild Wings began to franchise by collaborating with Francorp, a law firm located in Chicago. The original franchise fee ranged from $15,000 to $20,000, in addition to a percentage of sales. The company's wing sauces were manufactured by Wilsey, Inc. of Atlanta, and the headquarters were established in Cincinnati.

1993: Eight more locations were added

By 1993, Buffalo Wild Wings expanded with eight more locations, primarily in Ohio.

1994: Sally Smith hired as part-time CFO

In late 1994, James Disbrow hired Sally Smith as a part-time chief financial officer who was employed at his new father-in-law's business. To secure her full-time employment, the company relocated its headquarters to the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area, where Smith desired to stay.

1995: New prototype free-standing outlet designed

In 1995, Buffalo Wild Wings designed a new prototype free-standing outlet with separate bar and dining areas, seating 190 in a 5,000- to 7,500-square-foot space, shifting from a college sports-bar to casual dining. They focused on new franchisees' qualifications, encouraged existing franchisees to add locations, and planned more corporate locations. At that time, there were 48 locations with 12 corporate owned.

1995: Company revenue reached $12 million with a loss of $1.6 million

In 1995, Buffalo Wild Wings had $12 million in revenue but experienced a loss of $1.6 million.

August 1996: Sally Smith promoted to president and CEO

In August 1996, Sally Smith was promoted to president and CEO of Buffalo Wild Wings, while James Disbrow became chairman of the board.

1998: Name standardized as Buffalo Wild Wings

In 1998, after using name variations BW3 and Buffalo Wild Wings in its first national ad campaign, the company decided to standardize the name throughout the system as Buffalo Wild Wings. They also upgraded the packaging to increase home sales of their sauces.

October 1999: 100th location opened in Apple Valley, Minnesota

In October 1999, Buffalo Wild Wings opened its 100th location in Apple Valley, Minnesota, near its corporate headquarters, with 23 company-owned restaurants at the time.

December 1999: Venture capital firms purchased a majority stake

In December 1999, three venture capital firms and others purchased a majority stake, $8.5 million in shares, in a private placement to fund expansion, expecting to have 260 sites by late 2003.

2000: New sauces and first dessert added to the menu

In 2000, Buffalo Wild Wings tested several new sauces and added two to the menu, along with its first dessert. The chain, now calling its locations Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar, was in 19 states with 140 locations by year-end, including one in Buffalo, New York.

September 2001: 100th franchised location opened in West Lafayette, Indiana

In late September 2001, Buffalo Wild Wings opened its 100th franchised location in West Lafayette, Indiana, marking a significant milestone in the company's national expansion.

October 2002: Death of James Disbrow

In October 2002, James Disbrow, co-founder of Buffalo Wild Wings, passed away. Sally Smith continued as company executive, with Scott Lowery as vice president of franchise construction.

November 21, 2003: Buffalo Wild Wings began trading on NASDAQ

On November 21, 2003, Buffalo Wild Wings began trading on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol BWLD.

2003: Expansion expectation

By late 2003 Buffalo Wild Wings expected to have 260 sites.

2003: 211 locations in 27 states

By the end of the third quarter of 2003, Buffalo Wild Wings had 211 locations in 27 states.

2010: Expansion into Canada announced

In 2010, Buffalo Wild Wings announced its plans to expand into Canada.

March 2013: Minority stake in PizzaRev

In March 2013, Buffalo Wild Wings acquired a minority stake in PizzaRev, an upscale pizza restaurant.

August 2014: Majority stake in Rusty Taco

In August 2014, Buffalo Wild Wings purchased a majority stake in the Rusty Taco chain.

2015: Expansion into the United Arab Emirates

In 2015, Buffalo Wild Wings expanded into the United Arab Emirates with a restaurant opening in Dubai.

November 2017: Roark Capital Group to Purchase Buffalo Wild Wings

In November 2017, Roark Capital Group and The Wendy's Company announced plans to purchase the Buffalo Wild Wings chain for approximately $2.4 billion plus debt.

February 5, 2018: Arby's Restaurant Group renamed Inspire Brands

On February 5, 2018, the acquisition of Buffalo Wild Wings was completed. Arby's Restaurant Group was renamed Inspire Brands and became the holding parent company for Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings, and R Taco, with each restaurant intended to keep their individual brands, names, logos, and operating autonomously.

September 5, 2018: R Taco changed its name back to Rusty Taco

On September 5, 2018, Inspire Brands subsidiary R Taco announced it was changing its name back to Rusty Taco.

2019: Deal with MGM Resorts International and Roar Digital

In 2019, Buffalo Wild Wings announced a multiyear deal with MGM Resorts International and its sports betting venture Roar Digital.

2020: National partnership the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS)

In 2020, Buffalo Wild Wings announced a national partnership the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS).

2022: Sponsorship deal with Doug Edert

During the 2022 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, Buffalo Wild Wings signed a sponsorship deal with Doug Edert, a breakout star of the Saint Peter's team.

March 2023: 12 Canadian locations

In March 2023, Buffalo Wild Wings had 12 Canadian locations.

June 2023: Exit from the Canadian market

In June 2023, Buffalo Wild Wings exited the Canadian market after closing its 5 remaining locations in Ontario.

2024: Net income for the first quarter

Buffalo Wild Wings net income for the first quarter of 2024 was around US $87 million, with earnings per share (EPS) of US $0.38.

March 2025: Over 1,300 locations across all 50 U.S. states

As of March 2025, Buffalo Wild Wings had expanded to over 1,300 locations across all 50 U.S. states. The company's operations were based out of Sandy Springs, Georgia, which is also the location of its parent company, Inspire Brands.

July 20, 2025: Trailing twelve-month operating revenue reported

As of July 20, 2025, Buffalo Wild Wings reported trailing twelve-month operating revenue of approximately US $1.035 billion, a 3.2 % decline from the prior year.