Buffalo Wild Wings

BW3, as so many of their fans know them, began when an 11-year-old boy from Kentucky moved in with a family in Cincinnati in 1959. The couple later adopted him, and thus he grew up with their younger biological son. Jim was the adopted son, and Scott was the younger biological brother who would later become a big deal in the figure skating world. The two brothers were in search of some “buffalo style” wings one day in 1981 around the campus of Kent State in Ohio. Not finding any establishment, they decided to open one themselves.

General Restaurant Information

Food Type: Wings

Restaurant Type: Casual Dining

U.S. Locations: 1,187

States: 50 states, Buffalo Wild Wings Locations

Company Slogan: Wings. Beer. Sports

 

Contact Information

Website: buffalowildwings.com

Questions: Contact Information

Phone number: 952-593-9943

Email: Buffalo Wild Wings Help @ listening.buffalowildwings.com

Blog: No

FAQ Page: Buffalo Wild Wings Frequently Asked Questions

 

Ownership

Who Owns Buffalo Wild Wings? Inspire Brands (Arby’s) who is owned by Roark Capital Group

Headquartered: Minneapolis, MN

Contact Information: 

Website: roarkcapital.com

Email/contact page: Roark Capital Contact Page

Phone: (404) 591-5200 or (212) 806-6000

Address: 1180 Peachtree St NE, Suite 2500, Atlanta, GA 30309

Do They Franchise? Franchise Information

 

 

What Is It Like To Work At Buffalo Wild Wings?

Buffalo Wild Wings Employment Page

3.7/5 or 74%; 7,100 Reviews (indeed.com)

3.2/5, or 64%; 2,800 Reviews (glassdoor.com)

 

 

The History of Buffalo Wild Wings

Original Location: 2044 N. High Street on the campus of The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

Founded: 1982

Founded By: Jim Disbrow, Scott Lowery, Bernard Spencer and Elizabeth Brock

BW3 CEO Sally Smith: ‘Be curious and never stop learning’ (bizjournals.com)

James Disbrow Wiki (wikipedia.org)

Founder Obituary: 

James Disbrow Obituary (startribune.com)

Jimmy Disbrow Obituary (qsrmagazine.com)

Bernard Spencer Obituary (legacy.com)

Name Origin: As the story goes, Jim and Scott had moved from Buffalo, NY to Ohio and were looking for authentic Buffalo-style wings. When they couldn’t find them anywhere, they decided to open their own restaurant, thus Buffalo Wild Wings. 

BW3 History Page: Company History Page

Current View of Original Location: 2044 N. High Street as it is today (link may not work on mobile devices without Google Maps)

Historical Articles: 

BW3 History and Timeline (buffalowildwings.com)

Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. History (fundinguniverse.com)

Why is Buffalo Wild Wings nicknamed BW3s? (daytondailynews.com)

All Hail the Buffalo (Wild) Wing! (historylessons.net)

 

Social Awareness

Charity Focus: Kids Play Sports & Boys & Girls Club

Green | Eco-Friendly: No resources found

Animal Cruelty: No resources found

 

 

Discounts At Buffalo Wild Wings

Rewards Program: Buffalo Wild Wings Reward Program

Do Kids Eat Free at Buffalo Wild Wings?

What day do kids eat free? Monday or Thursday (?)

Summary: The franchise in your town may or may not offer a kids eat free promotion so, as always, call before you go. The following external resources were found – 

“Pay just $0.99 for kids meals” (Monday’s) (pennypinchinmom.com)

“Kids eat free here on Thursdays. Up to two kids ” (Thursday) (bradsdeals.com)

Does Buffalo Wild Wings Offer Military Discounts?

Summary: BW3 offer military discounts focused primarily on Veteran’s Day. Call your local franchise to see what discounts they may offer. 

“Veterans and active duty military personnel receive one small order of wings and a side of fries for free on November 11 all day.” (military.com)

“All day long on Saturday, November 11, veterans and active duty military who dine-in at their local B-Dubs can receive a free one small order of traditional or boneless wings and a side of fries. At participating U.S. locations only.” (militarybenefits.info)

“Free order of traditional or boneless wings and a side of fries to veterans and current military members. Dine-in only. Bring proof of military service.” (themilitarywallet.com)

“Buffalo Wild Wings is having their annual Veterans Day free food deal on Veterans Day, which is Saturday, November 11. All day, veterans and active duty military get a free order of wings and a side of fries. This offer is valid at all Buffalo Wild Wings locations and is for dine-in only. Beverages, taxes, and gratuity are not included in this offer. Proof of military service is required, which can include a permanent or temporary military ID card, DD214, or veteran’s card. You may also come wearing your military uniform or bring a photo of you wearing it.” (thebalanceeveryday.com)

“Show proof of military service to get a free small order of traditional or boneless wings and a side of fries on Veterans Day.” (countryliving.com)

“Many Buffalo Wild Wings offer 10% discounts based on franchise location. Check with your local store first. Typically you must present a valid military ID.” (militarybenefits.info)

“If you’re in the mood for wings, have your napkins handy! Vets get a free order of traditional or boneless wings with a side of fries on Nov. 11.” (today.com)

What Does Buffalo Wild Wings offer for My Birthday!?

Summary: BW3 is a great option if you’re looking for a free meal on your birthday!

“Free dessert when you join the Buffalo Circle” (urbantastebud.com)

“Free dessert” (hustlermoneyblog.com)

“Ask about a free dessert on your birthday.” (bradsdeals.com)

“Snag a spot in the Buffalo Circle to enjoy a free snack-sized order of traditional or boneless wings with your choice of sauce during a two-week window around your birthday. That’s up to an $11.49 value… wild!” (thrillist.com)

“Free dessert when you join the Buffalo Circle email list. On your birthday you should receive an email, bring that email and choose 1 dessert from their menu.” (people.com)

Does Buffalo Wild Wings Offer First Responder Discounts?

Summary: No resources could be found

Does BW3 Offer Senior Citizen | AARP Discounts?

Summary: No resources could be found

Are There Any Other Discounts or Benefits at Buffalo Wild Wings?

Summary: Currently, when you join the Blazin Reward program, BW3 is offering the current promotion. 

Every $10 you spend on food earns 100 points. Checking in at B-Dubs through the app earns you 10 points. Checking in with friends adds 10 more points per friend.
Choose an item from our Rewards Roster and give your registered phone number to your server/bartender/cashier and that item will be deducted from your bill.

 

Amenities

Order Online: No

WiFi Available: Yes

Use Apple Pay: No  

Reservations: No 

Catering: Catering at Buffalo Wild Wings  

Drive-Thru: No 

Open 24 Hours: No  

 

Customer Reviews of BW3

Yelp: 1.85/5 or 46%, 1,985 reviews sampled

Tripadvisor: 3.45/5 or 69%, 1,687 reviews sampled

Overall Average: 2.94/5 or 59%, 3,672 reviews sampled

 

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Food & Nutrition

Menu:  Buffalo Wild Wings Menu

Kids Menu:  Buffalo Wild Wings Kids Menu

Secret Menu:  No resources found

Most Popular Menu Item:  Boneless Wings

Coke or Pepsi: Pepsi

Does BW3 Serve Alcohol: Yes

Buffalo Wild Wings Nutritional Information: Buffalo Wild Wings Nutrition Guide

Vegetarian | Vegan Options: 

“Salads without cheese” (urbantastebud.com)

“There isn’t a lot for vegans to choose from at this chicken wing palace, but you can get a salad (sans cheese) and dressing, including the French, Asian sesame, or light balsamic. There is a black bean burger, but it contains dairy and is just vegetarian, not vegan.” (eaththis.com)

Farm to Table | Organic Options | Clean | Non-GMO: No resources found

Miscellaneous Nutrition Resources: 

BW3 Unhealthiest Food (eatthis.com)

Healthy Options At BW3 (livestrong.com)

Buffalo Wild Wings (eatthis.com)

Allergy Information

BW3 Allergen Information: Buffalo Wild Wings Allergen Guide

Gluten Free Options: 

12 Gluten-Free BW3 Menu Items and How to Order Them (spoonuniversity.com)

Dairy Free Options: 

Buffalo Wild Wings Dairy Free Options (godairyfree.org)

Restaurant Guide For Dairy-Free Dining (godairyfree.org)

Peanut Free Options: No resources found, but the following may be helpful to you.

Food Allergy Guides For Many Chain Restaurants (verywellhealth.com)

Ways to Eliminate Risks of Peanut Allergy When Dining Out (healthguidance.org)

 

Does Buffalo Wild Wings Have Any Secret Recipes?

Buffalo Wild Wings Secret Recipes:  

BW3 Caribbean Jerk Sauce (topsecretrecipes.com)

Spicy Garlic Wings (topsecretrecipes.com)

Buffalo Wild Wings Parmesan Garlic Sauce (topsecretrecipes.com)

BW3 Buffalo Wings and Sauces (topsecretrecipes.com)

Buffalo Wild Wings Asian Zing Sauce (topsecretrecipes.com)

Spicy Garlic Chicken Wing Sauce (aroundmyfamilytable.com)

Buffalo Wild Wings Copycat Recipes (blendtec.com)

BW3 Copycat Wings (prairiecalifornian.com)

 

Did You Know?

Fun Facts: 

The inspiration for the wings came from the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York (fundinguniverse.com)

The original name for Buffalo Wild Wings was “Buffalo Wild Wings and Weck”. Weck was a reference to a German roll covered in caraway seeds and kosher salt (fundinguniverse.com)

Unfamiliar with the name meaning and length, patrons shortened the name to “BW3’s”. This is oftentimes how fans refer to it today although that don’t know where it came from.

The two founders, Jim and Scott were brothers by adoption. Jim went to live with Scott’s parents at age 11 who later adopted him. (fundinguniverse.com)

The first location was on the campus of The Ohio State University

Jim Disbrow was a pretty big deal in the sport of ice skating and was a governing official in the Nancy Kerrigan Tonya Harding scandal of the 1994 Winter Olympics

 

Interesting Articles:

15 Surprising Facts About BW3 (fool.com)

12 Sauced-Up Facts About Buffalo Wild Wings (mentalfloss.com)

10 Things You Didn’t Know About BW3 (thedailymeal.com)

How Buffalo Wild Wings Turned Bar Food Into a $3 Billion Deal (eater.com)

13 Things You Didn’t Know About BW3 (thrillist.com)

 

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Buffalo Wild Wings on Social Media

Followers (as of August 2018) –  

Facebook: 11,999,142

Twitter: 681,000

Instagram: 303,000

Buffalo Wild Wings Mobile Apps

Alternatives

Food Type: Hooter’s

Restaurant Type: Abuelo’s, Applebee’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chili’s, Chuy’s, Famous Dave’s, O’Charley’s, Red Robin, Texas Roadhouse, TGI Fridays 

For an alphabetical listing of all our restaurants, simply go to our Restaurants Page.

 

In Summary

I was captivated by researching the story of the founders/brothers, Jim and Scott. So many restaurants have great stories, and it was stories like Buffalo Wild Wings that gave me the desire to create a site like Back of the Menu. You want to love the ones with great stories, but unfortunately, that’s just not the case here. The brothers are long gone, it’s now owned by a huge private equity firm who cares so much more about their bottom line than you or your health. You can probably rule out a great environment here for younger children as it seems to be more of a mainstream American bar than a restaurant, but their food ingredients and lack of transparency is enough to scare anyone away. I had the opportunity to visit original BW3, but even sitting under the original store sign in the restaurant didn’t help the lackluster customer service and below average food. Granted it’s not very fair to judge them on my one experience, but with all things taken into account, I don’t have any reason to try again.

I hope you found the information on Buffalo Wild Wings helpful. The more we know and understand about the restaurants we eat at, the better decisions we can make of where and what we should eat. If you found this article helpful, would you please help by sharing this with your friends and family. If there is anything you would like to see about a restaurant that’s not already listed, please leave a comment below, I would love your feedback! You can also email me at anytime backofthemenu @ gmail.com.

 

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