Buffalo Wild Wings Franchise Cost & 2026 FDD Data
69/100
Second tier
69 this brand53 Full-Service Restaurants medianlikely 65–73: narrower with more SBA loans (high confidence)
Higher is better · an editorial assessment, not investment advice
#583 of 3,068 graded brands
Why a B: Helped by scale, legal record and transparency. Held back by unit economics. See all six factors
- Total investment
- $2.5M – $4.9M
- excl. land and site work
- Avg gross sales
- $3.6M
- “All Sports Bars”, 532 outlets; not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 3 resolved of 22 loans: too few to judge
Data from the FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records. Analysis by FranchiseVerdict · Methodology · Website · Report an error · Franchisor? Claim this listing
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026 FDD
Per the 2026 FDD, a Buffalo Wild Wings franchise requires a total initial investment of $2.5M – $4.9M, excluding land and site work, including a $25K franchise fee. Once open, the ongoing royalty is 5.0%. Per the 2026 FDD, average gross sales were $3.6M (Item 19 group “All Sports Bars”, 532 outlets; gross sales, not profit). Verdict grade: B (Second tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice.
Sources: 2026 FDD · What one unit could make and lose →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low (issued within the last 12 months)
Evidence for the headline figures: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored8 of 8 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
Quick verdict · vs Full-Service Restaurants median
Top edge: green = better than the Full-Service Restaurants median by more than 10%, red = worse by more than 10%, gray = within 10% or no benchmark. Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a).
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Methodology
Bottom line
- RETURNSAverage gross sales of $3.6M/year (outlet median $3.4M; Item 19 group “All Sports Bars”, 532 outlets; gross sales, not profit).
- GROWTHIn the latest Item 20 year, the number of franchised outlets grew by 11 (15 opened, 4 closed).
- SCALEEstablished system with 1,178 units across 35 years of franchising. Strong brand recognition and operational playbook.
AT STAKEOne unit at the Item 7 midpoint: $477K a year in payments on assumed SBA 7(a)-style terms.You put in about $736K of your own cash and personally guarantee a $2.9M loan. Assumptions are labeled in Sales; not investment advice.See what one unit could make and lose
Things to check before you sign (3)
- The franchisor keeps the right to compete inside your territory (Item 12, territory).
- The franchisor receives rebates or payments from suppliers you buy from (Item 8, required suppliers).
- Item 15 (owner participation) requires the owner, or a principal the franchisor approves, to run the business day to day. Ask how much of the business that principal must own.
Checked and clear: no auditor doubt that the franchisor can keep operating, no net loss of franchised outlets in the latest Item 20 years, no pending lawsuit naming the franchisor and the full filing on file, and an Item 19 average from 532 units. Not on file here, so ask: SBA charge-off rate against the category median and jury-trial waiver.
What to do next
Step 1: Read the FDD itself.
Free: the franchisor must give it to you at least 14 days before you sign or pay. Or look it up in a state registry (Wisconsin, Minnesota, California). What to read first.
Step 2: Talk to current and former owners.
Free: Item 20 of the FDD lists every current owner and those who left last year, most with a phone number. Questions to ask.
Shortcut: the Buffalo Wild Wings owner list as a CSV, in the Contacts section.
Step 3: Talk to an SBA lender.
Free: the SBA's Lender Match, or the lenders already lending to this brand in the SBA section. Ask what you would personally guarantee and what the monthly payment would be. If you plan to use retirement savings, ask a CPA about the rules for that first.
Step 4: Have a franchise attorney review the FDD and agreement.
Free: your state bar's lawyer referral service can name franchise lawyers, and many offer a short first consultation. Bring the checks listed above.
Research steps, not investment or legal advice.
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost (the Item 7 midpoint) is 3.5× the Full-Service Restaurants median ($1.1M).
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7 (fees and startup costs)
Do you qualify? The filing states no minimum net worth or liquid capital. Ask Buffalo Wild Wings International, Inc. (Item 1: Three Glenlake Pkwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30328) and your lender what they require, and keep living costs for the first year outside the deal.
FDD Item 7 (startup costs) · 2026 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $25K | $25K |
| Working capital (first 3 months) | $100K | $150K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $2.3M | $4.7M |
| Total initial investment | $2.5M | $4.9M |
Source: Buffalo Wild Wings 2026 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 6 · what you pay once you are open
Ongoing fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 5.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fundBrand-wide marketing pool. 4% of Gross Sales (2% for Non-Traditional Locations); may increase up to 0.5%/year | 4.0% of gross sales |
| Technology feeLearning management system fee currently $62.99 plus tax per Sports Bar per year (Cornerstone LMS) | $62.99/year |
| Training feeAdditional training charge listed in Item 6 | $2,500 |
| Transfer fee | $12,500 |
| Renewal fee | $20,000 |
| Total fee loadabove the Full-Service Restaurants median of 6.4% (heavy) | 9.0% of sales |
What do units actually make?
Average gross sales are 90% above the Full-Service Restaurants median ($1.9M).
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19 (sales and earnings)
Items 6 (other fees), 7 (startup costs) and 19 (sales and earnings) · assumptions labeled
What you could make and lose: one unit
What one Buffalo Wild Wings unit would ask of you, from the filing's Item 7 total and labeled assumptions.
Average gross sales are $3.6M (FDD p.79), and the royalty and ad fund take about $322K of that a year (Item 6). This brand's Item 19 prints cost or operating-income lines that are not on this page yet. Read them in Item 19 and enter them here. So this box does not estimate a profit. To cover the loan payment alone, one unit has to clear $477K a year after its food, labor, rent and other costs and the franchisor's fees.
How these figures are worked out
- Loan (assumption): 80% of the $3.7M Item 7 midpoint is a $2.9M loan, paid over 10 years at 10.5%: $477K a year. SBA 7(a)-style terms on a long-term rate; your lender sets yours. Buffalo Wild Wings' past SBA 7(a) loans averaged 9.0% at approval; 7(a) rates move with the prime rate, so 10.5% is a current-rate assumption, not this brand's history.
What you put at risk
Your own cash in: about $736K Assumption (the part the loan does not cover of the $3.7M Item 7 midpoint), plus whatever anything Item 7 leaves out (its notes say what). The loan is $2.9M.
Personal guarantee. SBA 7(a) loans require a personal guarantee from anyone who owns 20% or more of the business. If the unit cannot pay, the lender can collect from you personally, which can include your savings and your home. The worst case is losing the cash you put in and still owing the rest of the loan.
Gross sales are not profit, and none of these figures is take-home pay until tax and every operating cost are paid. The assumptions are ours, not the filing's. Not investment advice.
Returns modelOne unit · several units · editable
One unit
One unit: what is left after the loan payment
Gross sales, minus the franchisor's fees and the operating costs, is the unit's EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization). Minus an assumed loan payment, that is what is left for you, before tax. Gross sales are not profit.
This brand's Item 19 prints cost or operating-income lines that are not on this page yet. Read them in Item 19 and enter them here. Invested capital is the Item 7 total, which already includes its working-capital (additional funds) line.
Returns model · one unit
What would one Buffalo Wild Wings unit leave you each year after the loan payment?
Item 19: $3,574,130 average for 532 outlets (All Sports Bars). Use a figure for outlets like yours if yours differ.
Gross sales, not profit: the costs below decide what is left.
The filing also sets a minimum or cap on these fees: “5% of Gross Sales for first half of Franchise Agreement term; for second half, greater of 5% or the then-current royalty rate under franchisor's latest FA form, but franchisor may not increase by more than 0.5% during the term” (Item 6). This model applies the percentages, so at low sales the real fee can be higher than shown here.
Item 6, as stored, a year. A fixed fee, so it comes off EBITDA as dollars, not a share of sales.
This brand's Item 19 prints cost or operating-income lines that are not on this page yet. Read them in Item 19 and enter them here.
Illustrative category typicals, not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Item 7 midpoint of $2.5M to $4.9M
Item 7's $100K to $150K additional funds are already in the total
Left after the loan payment · per year
The unit's EBITDA minus the assumed loan payment. Before tax, depreciation and any cost your inputs leave out (insurance, accounting and legal, licenses, technology fees): not take-home pay.
Gross sales are not profit. Neither the filing nor a stated assumption on this page supplies COGS, labor, rent / occupancy and other operating costs. Enter your own (a lease quote, owner calls) and the model runs on it.
Loan of $2.9M at 10.5% over 10 years, an assumption, not a quote. Return and payback are before tax, depreciation and the costs above. The loan usually needs your personal guarantee.
Buying several existing units? The acquisition scenario
Buying several units
What buying a few existing units could return
Prices an existing operator of a few units off the single-unit EBITDA above, after shared services, and finances it with an SBA 7(a) loan, a conventional loan and a seller note. It shows the yearly return on your cash (IRR), whether year-1 earnings cover the loan payments (DSCR) and how the price is paid for. It starts at 5 units; every deal term is an assumption you can change, and none is from the FDD.
Not modelled yet
Gross sales are not profit. Neither the filing nor a stated assumption on this page supplies COGS, labor, rent / occupancy and other operating costs. Enter your own (a lease quote, owner calls) and the model runs on it.
This scenario starts from a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in the one-unit model above and it runs on that figure, or take it to the full ROI workbench, where the multi-unit and acquisition models accept your own per-unit economics.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2026 FDD · filed by Buffalo Wild Wings International, Inc.
Financial performance
- Range (low → high)
- $1.4M→$8.1MSource: 2026 FDD, page 79
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Top and bottom 25%
- $2.3M→$5.1M
- Bottom group → top group: the top and bottom 25% as the filing reports them
Percentile ranks within Full-Service Restaurants
Each rank is among the Full-Service Restaurants brands that report that figure (the count is under each bar).
Average gross sales are only 1.0x the investment midpoint, so recouping the initial outlay is likely to take years even at strong margins. Gross sales are not profit.
vs Full-Service Restaurants medians
How Buffalo Wild Wings compares
Category median of published Full-Service Restaurants brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Who are you contracting with?
Buffalo Wild Wings International, Inc., owned by Inspire Brands, Inc.
Item 1 (the franchisor) · who you're contracting with
The franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Buffalo Wild Wings International, Inc.
- Parent company
- Inspire Brands, Inc.
- FDD Item 1, page 12 of the 2026 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- Roark Capital Management, LLC (private equity)
- FDD Item 1, page 14 of the 2026 FDD
- CEO title
- Inspire Brands Chief Executive Officer
- Paul Brown
- HQ
- Three Glenlake Pkwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30328
- Franchisor revenue
- $2.3B
- latest fiscal year in the 2026 FDD; $2.3B the year before
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 14
7 other brands on this site name Roark Capital Management, LLC (private equity) as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
- Arby’s (grade B)
- Baskin-Robbins (grade B)
- Buffalo Wild Wings GO (grade A)
- Dunkin Donuts (grade A)
- Hardee's (grade C)
- Jimmy John's (grade A)
- Sonic (grade B)
Portfolio: Roark Capital (private-equity sponsor) · Inspire Brands
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2026 FDD). Spelling variants of the same group may be listed apart; a brand is never grouped with an owner its filing does not name.
Overview
About
Sports entertainment-oriented casual/fast casual restaurant offering chicken wings, sandwiches, and other food and beverages including alcohol
- CEO
- Paul Brown
- Franchised outlets in
- 38 states and territories
- Item 20 Table 3, at year end
Is the system healthy?
+16 franchised outlets over the two years to 2025 (533 to 549, +3.0% in total, +1.5% a year compounded).
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20 (outlets opened, closed and transferred)
Item 20 (outlet counts) · unit dynamics
The growth chart
- Company-owned
- 629
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 0%
- vs corporate-owned
Last fiscal year · Item 20 rates and pipeline
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Item 20 · franchised units at year end
Franchised units rose from 533 in 2023 to 549 in 2025
Axis does not start at zero.
Source and method
Item 20 (outlet counts) Table 3 · franchised outlets at year end
Where current outlets are
Franchised outlets at year end by state, as the filing's Item 20 Table 3 counts them. Not a list of where the franchisor may sell new units.
Current outlets (count on the tile) · 38 statesNo current outlet
549 franchised outlets at year end in 38 states (Item 20 Table 3).
Government records
SBA loan data
Matched to this brand from SBA 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan records.
- Loans on file
- 22
- SBA 7(a) loans matched to this brand, incl. those still being repaid
- Loan volume
- $13.2M
- Average loan
- $600K
- loan volume divided by loans
- Charge-off rate
- 3 resolved of 22 loans: too few to judge
- Limited SBA coverage: 22 loans, rate hidden until 10 have resolved and loans reach 2% of franchised units
- Paid in full
- 3 resolved of 22 loans: too few to judge
- Recent-loan charge-off
- 3 resolved of 22 loans: too few to judge
- Lenders
- 13
- Average interest rate
- 9.0%
- Jobs reported
- 520
- Lender concentration
- 14%
- top lender's share
Cumulative: every 7(a) loan matched to this brand in the SBA’s FOIA files, approved FY1991 onward. Historical lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
Borrower mix: of the 22 loans with a recorded business age, 19 (86%) went to startups or businesses under two years old and 3 (14%) to established businesses or ownership changes.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Full SBA lending reportlenders · charge-off rate · trend
Lender network · SBA 7(a)
SBA Lending Report
Lender, state and yearly detail for Buffalo Wild Wings from SBA 7(a) FOIA loan records.
- Average SBA guarantee
- 75%
- Average interest rate
- 9.0%
- Lender concentration
- 14%
- Jobs reported
- 520
Top 10 SBA lenders by loan count
| Loans | Volume | Charge-off |
|---|---|---|
| First Financial Bank | ||
| 3 | $2.7M | Not on file |
| Midland States Bank | ||
| 3 | $1.6M | Not on file |
| Live Oak Banking Company | ||
| 2 | $910K | Not on file |
| First Savings Bank | ||
| 2 | $1.1M | Not on file |
| Platinum Bank | ||
| 2 | $1.0M | Not on file |
A lender’s rate counts only its resolved loans, the loans that have finished (paid in full or charged off); a 0.0% often means few of its loans have finished. Under 10 resolved loans, the rate reads “Too few”.
Charge-off rate by state (top 10 by loans)
| State | Loans | Charged off | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA California | 3 | 0 | Too few0 resolved |
| FL Florida | 3 | 0 | Too few0 resolved |
| IL Illinois | 3 | 0 | Too few0 resolved |
| OH Ohio | 3 | 0 | Too few3 resolved |
| ID Idaho | 2 | 0 | Too few0 resolved |
| MN Minnesota | 2 | 0 | Too few0 resolved |
| CO Colorado | 1 | 0 | Too few0 resolved |
| NE Nebraska | 1 | 0 | Too few0 resolved |
| NV Nevada | 1 | 0 | Too few0 resolved |
| NY New York | 1 | 0 | Too few0 resolved |
Rate: charged-off loans over resolved loans (paid in full plus charged off), shown from 10 resolved loans. "Too few": under 10 resolved. The Loans column counts every approval in the window, including loans still being repaid.
SBA 7(a) loans approved per year
Borrower profile
The SBA's own business-age labels (3)
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level data, matched to the brand by FranchiseVerdict.
What are the risks?
Main risk in the grade: unit economics. The reasons are below.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Verdict grade + FDD Items 3 (litigation), 4 (bankruptcy), 8 (required suppliers), 16 (what you may sell), 21 (audited financials)
Risk and legal
Grade B: Second tier, 69/100 (category median 53); the full grade is at the top of the page.
How the grade is built
Why a B, factor by factor
- Financial health NeutralAudited financials; no going-concern doubt; statements are the parent's, so this stays near neutral
- Unit economics Weighs on it, weakest dimensionAvg gross sales $3.6M on a $3.7M investment midpoint, 1.0x (gross sales, not profit)
- Unit growth Neutral+16 franchised outlets over the two years to 2025 (533 to 549, +3.0% in total, +1.5% a year compounded); turnover 0.3%
- Scale Helps549 franchised units, +629 company-owned (1,178 in all); franchising since 1991; mostly company-owned (0% franchised)
- Legal Helps1 matter naming the franchisor among the Item 3 matters we list (under 0.1 per 100 outlets)
- Transparency HelpsItem 19 discloses financial performance; audited financials
From the six scored dimensions, an editorial assessment, not investment advice. How the score is built
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
One pending class action (Halim) alleging deceptive "boneless wings" marketing. Two concluded consumer class actions settled for $47,500 and $115,000 over delivery/service fee disclosure. Additional settled actions against affiliates (Arby's Restaurant Group, Dunkin' Brands) over no-poaching provisions and a data breach, and a Jimmy John's FDD disclosure consent order: none allege wrongdoing by Buffalo Wild Wings itself.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
The revenue figures are in the Franchisor tab, under The franchisor.
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
ⓘ These are the parent company's consolidated financials (the parent guarantees the franchisor), not this brand's standalone results; the figure reflects the whole corporate group, not this brand alone.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
Ask what the franchisor earns on the supplies it sells you or the rebates it takes (Item 8).
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Franchisor takes supplier rebates: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Litigation case detail7 matters · Item 3
Litigation cases
The franchisor
Concluded (1)
Divane Pittman v. Buffalo Wild Wings International, Inc. and Inspire Brands, Inc.
concludedBrought by a third party · filed 2022-07-12 · United States District Court for the State of Maryland (removed from Maryland state court) · 8:22-cv-02173-GJH
“… (United States District Court for the State of Maryland, Case No.”Page 27 of the 2026 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “The case was dismissed with prejudice on November 29”
Parent, affiliates, master franchisor and subfranchisor
Pending (1)
Halim v. Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. and Inspire Brands, Inc.
pendingBrought by a third party · Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. (Parent/guarantor) and Inspire Brands, Inc. · filed 2023-03-10 · United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois · 1:23-cv-01495
“… (United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Case No.”Page 26 of the 2026 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “Plaintiff filed a second amended complaint on March 20, 2026. Defendants deny any liability in this matter and intend to continue to”
Concluded (5)
Michelle Wheeldon, Lauran Hopper, and Tamara Wilson v. Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc.
concludedBrought by a third party · Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. · filed 2021-11-16 · United States District Court for the District of Arizona · 2:21-cv-01947-DLR
“… (United States District Court for the District of Arizona, Case No.”Page 26 of the 2026 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “On March 30, 2022, the parties entered into a Confidential Settlement Agreement and Mutual Release whereby Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. agreed to pay plaintiffs a total sum of $47,500 in”
New York v. Dunkin’ Brands, Inc.
concludedGovernment or regulatory action · Dunkin Brands, Inc. · filed 2019-09-26 · N.Y. Supreme Court for New York County · 451787/2019
“… (N.Y. Supreme Court for New York County, Case No. 451787/2019, filed September 26, 2019). In this matter, the N.Y.”Page 28 of the 2026 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “On September 21, 2020, without admitting or denying the NYAG’s allegations, DBI and the NYAG entered into a consent agreement to resolve the State’s”
The People of the State of California v. Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc.
concludedGovernment or regulatory action · Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. · filed 2019-03-19 · California Superior Court, Los Angeles County · 19STCV09397
“… (California Superior Court, Los Angeles County, Case No. 19STCV09397, filed March 19, 2019).”Page 27 of the 2026 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “Under the settlement agreement, ARG paid no money but agreed (a) to remove the disputed provision from its franchise agreements”
The People of the State of California v. Dunkin’ Brands, Inc.
concludedGovernment or regulatory action · Dunkin Brands, Inc. · filed 2019-03-19 · California Superior Court, Los Angeles County · 19STCV09597
“… (California Superior Court, Los Angeles County, Case No.”Page 27 of the 2026 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “the action was closed after the court approved the parties’ stipulation of” (page 28)
In the Matter of Jimmy John’s Franchisor SPV LLC
concludedGovernment or regulatory action · Jimmy John’s Franchisor SPV LLC · Securities Commissioner of Maryland · 2025-0122
“… (Securities Commissioner of Maryland, Case No. 2025-0122).”Page 28 of the 2026 FDD, Item 3
Outcome: “Commissioner and JJF entered into a Consent Order on June 9, 2025. Under the terms of the Consent Order, JJF agreed to pay a $30,000 civil monetary”
Item 3 lists the litigation the franchisor must disclose; a matter against a parent, an affiliate or a named officer is not a matter against the franchisor, and pending claims are allegations, not findings.
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 9.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before your own operating costs.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12 (territory), 15 (owner participation) and 17 (renewal, termination and disputes)
Contract and territory detail
| Allowed renewals | 1 |
|---|---|
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territory | No |
| Territory population | 35,000 |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Who runs it (Item 15) | The owner, or a principal the franchisor approves, must run it |
| Non-compete (years) | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles) | 5 mi |
| Right of first refusal | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 90 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination grounds | 27 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Governing law | GA |
Items 5 (initial fees), 7 (startup costs), 12 (territory) and 20 (outlet counts) · development agreement
Area development (several units)
A development fee of $12,500 per unit you commit to, credited toward each unit's franchise fee while you keep to the schedule. If you miss the schedule, the development agreement can be ended.
Every term, with its page
- Development fee
- $12,500 per unit committed.
2026 FDD p.30
“The development fee is $12,500 multiplied by the number of Buffalo Wild Wings Sports Bars you agree to develop on the Development Schedule.” - Credit against the fee
- $12,500 per unit is credited toward each unit's initial franchise fee.
2026 FDD p.30
“However, we will credit $12,500 of the development fee towards the initial franchise fee payable under Franchise Agreements that you and your Developer Subsidiaries sign for Buffalo Wild Wings Sports Bars operating in the Development Territory.” - If you miss the schedule
- The development agreement can be ended.
2026 FDD p.54
“If you fail to comply with the Development Schedule, we may terminate the Development Agreement.”
Each unit still needs its own Item 7 investment on top of the development fee ($13K times the units you commit to). Have a franchise attorney read the schedule and the default terms before you sign.
Items 10 (financing), 11 (training and support)
Training and operations
- Classroom training
- 10 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 252 hrs
- Training location
- National Certified Training Sports Bar (NCTSB)
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 12–15 mo
- From signing to launch (FDD p.52)
- Site selection
- franchisee, subject to franchisor acceptance of site
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Designated POS system (approved supplier); information system costs $25,000-$40,000, annual maintenance $2,000-$9,000
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 (initial fees) & 11 (training and support)
Franchisor support
Item 20 (outlet counts) · call current owners
Franchisee contacts
Who can you call before you sign?
572 current outlets listed
Records carry the franchisee (company or owner name as the filing prints it), phone number, city and state (franchisee name on 553 of 572, city on 553 of 572). 572 records. From the filing's Item 20 (the outlet list); the FDD itself is the free source. Our list holds 572 current outlets; Item 20's table counts 549 franchised at year end.
For your own due-diligence calls only. Not for telemarketing, marketing lists, or automated or prerecorded calls or texts.
One-time · CSV download · full refund within 7 days if the data does not match the FDD. Some numbers, especially for former owners, may be outdated.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to open a Buffalo Wild Wings franchise?
Per the 2026 FDD, the total investment to open a Buffalo Wild Wings franchise ranges from $2.5M to $4.9M, with an initial franchise fee of $25K. This is the Item 7 total in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD): the startup costs the franchisor lists, such as build-out, equipment, inventory and working capital. The filing says these totals do not include land and site work.
What do Buffalo Wild Wings franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Buffalo Wild Wings FDD, average gross sales were $3.6M (Item 19 group “All Sports Bars”, 532 outlets; gross sales, not profit). The median is $3.4M. What an owner keeps depends on location, operating costs and management.
Who owns Buffalo Wild Wings?
Buffalo Wild Wings is franchised by Buffalo Wild Wings International, Inc. Its parent company is Inspire Brands, Inc.. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is Roark Capital Management, LLC (private equity). Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Buffalo Wild Wings FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Buffalo Wild Wings FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Buffalo Wild Wings' franchise failure rate?
There is no published franchise failure rate, and Buffalo Wild Wings has too few resolved SBA 7(a) loans on file (fewer than 10) to show an SBA charge-off rate that would mean anything. The SBA charge-off rate is the share of a brand's resolved SBA 7(a) loans to its franchisees that the SBA wrote off, including purchased guarantees. Resolved means paid in full or charged off; active loans are excluded because their outcome is not yet known. It is a lending outcome, not a count of closed businesses. Review the turnover and closure figures in Item 20 of the FDD and speak with current and former franchisees.
How many Buffalo Wild Wings franchise locations are there?
Per the 2026 FDD, Buffalo Wild Wings has 549 franchised units and 629 company-owned (1,178 in all). In the latest year, the number of franchised outlets grew by 11 (15 opened, 4 closed).
Is Buffalo Wild Wings a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict gives Buffalo Wild Wings a B Verdict grade (Second tier) with a verdict score of 69 out of 100 (higher is better), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Helped by scale (549 franchised units, +629 company-owned: 1,178 in all), legal record and transparency. Held back by unit economics (avg gross sales $3.6M on a $3.7M investment midpoint, 1.0x: gross sales, not profit). The “Why a B” section on this page lists all six dimensions and any adjustment. Speak with current franchisees before making any investment decision.
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This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.