Buffalo Wild Wings GO Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $564K – $1.1M
- Disclosed sales
- partial, no system average
- SBA charge-off
- Under 10 loans (3)
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Buffalo Wild Wings GO is the compact, takeout-and-delivery format of Buffalo Wild Wings, serving wings and sides without a full sports-bar dine-in. Franchisees run a small-footprint kitchen focused on to-go and delivery orders.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Buffalo Wild Wings GO franchise requires a total initial investment of $564K – $1.1M, including a $30K – $45K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. The 2025 FDD on file does not yield a unit-revenue figure we can publish. FranchiseVerdict grade: A (Strongest tier), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: medium - issued 12 to 24 months ago; a newer filing is likely on file
Evidence: 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 scored5 of 6 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing; the rest are marked “Not cited” beside the figure.
Overview
- Investment
- $564K – $1.1M
- 26th pct Service Resta…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Partial period
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 25th pct Service Resta…
- Units
- 140
- 33rd pct Service Resta…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Full-Service Restaurants · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Full-Service Restaurants median · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $564K – $1.1M including a $30K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSItem 19 reports Weekly Average Unit Volume (AUV), annualized rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
- RISKVerdict A (Strongest tier), verdict score 71/100 (higher is better).
- GROWTHPositive: net +59 franchised outlets in the latest year (60 opened, 1 closed); 45 signed but not yet open (Item 20).
- GROWTHSystem growing at 2150.0% CAGR over 3 years with 140 total units. Strong expansion trajectory.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Buffalo Wild Wings International, Inc.
- Parent company
- Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc.
- FDD Item 1, page 9 of the 2025 FDD
- Ultimate parent
- Inspire Brands, Inc.
- FDD Item 1, page 12 of the 2025 FDD
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer, Inspire Brands (parent)
- Paul Brown
- Incorporated in
- OH
- HQ
- Three Glenlake Pkwy NE, Atlanta, GA 30328
- Auditor
- KPMG LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $2.3B
- vs $2.3B prior year
- Management churn noted
- Frequent turnover
- Item 2 disclosed frequent executive changes
Same owner · FDD Item 1, page 12
6 other brands on this site name Inspire Brands, Inc. as parent or ultimate parent in their own FDD.
Portfolio: Inspire Brands
Grouped by the owner's name as each filing prints it (this page: the 2025 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
- CEO
- Paul Brown
- Headquarters
- GA
- Founded
- 1990
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 23
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 19% above the typical full-service restaurants franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown17 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $30K | $45K | |
| Site Approval Fees | $1K | $54K | |
| Administrative Fee and Reimbursement of Opening Team Expenses | $0 | $16K | |
| Architecture Fees | $15K | $35K | |
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements | $220K | $410K | |
| Furniture, Fixtures, Equipment and Other Fixed Assets | $140K | $185K | |
| Computer System, POS System and Kitchen Display Unit | $14K | $18K | |
| Office Equipment and Supplies | $3K | $6K | |
| Signage and Graphics | $15K | $25K | |
| Training Expenses | $15K | $25K | |
| Initial Inventory | $18K | $22K | |
| Insurance | $14K | $48K | |
| Rent | $4K | $8K | |
| Lease and Utility Security Deposits | $10K | $20K | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $15K | $15K | |
| Professional Fees | $20K | $70K | |
| Additional Funds - 3 months | $30K | $50K | |
| Total initial investment | $564K | $1.1M |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $564K – $1.1M
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $30K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $30K – $45K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- 3.0%
- typical 3–5%
- Total fee load
- 9.5%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Marketing / ad fund | 3.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $0 |
| Training fee | $3K |
| Transfer fee | $13K |
| Renewal fee | $15K |
| Inventory (initial) | $18K – $22K |
| Total fee load | 9.5% of rev |
What do units actually make?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 19
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
No Item 19 revenue figure for Buffalo Wild Wings GO is on file. The return models need a revenue figure to start from, and the operating costs that turn gross sales into a profit are in no FDD. Enter your own and the calculator runs on your assumptions — nothing here is modelled until you do.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Buffalo Wild Wings GO unit return on the cash you put in?
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.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for annual revenue, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
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: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
Covers a partial period, not a full year
- Item 19 type
- partial-period revenue
- Range (low → high)
- $363K→$2.3MNot cited — published from our reading of the franchisor's disclosure document; the page it is printed on has not been located.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2025
- The FDD edition these figures were read from
- Transparency
- 4 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · above
Compared against 801 Full-Service Restaurants brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 9.5% — above the Full-Service Restaurants median of 7.0%.
Disclosure
Item 19 reports Weekly Average Unit Volume (AUV), annualized rather than annual gross sales, so unit revenue is not directly comparable.
Operator retention
System expanding at 2150.0% CAGR over 3 years across 140 units — operators are staying and new ones are joining.
Multi-unit rate
Only 5% of franchisees own multiple units. Could indicate challenging economics or a young system where operators haven't had time to expand.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Full-Service Restaurants medians
How Buffalo Wild Wings GO 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.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 140
- Opened
- 60
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 1
- Terminated
- 0
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 0
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 0.7%
- Company-owned
- 50
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 64%
- vs corporate-owned
- Multi-unit owners
- 5.0%
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Terminated
- 0
- Not renewed
- 0
- Transferred
- 0
- Reacquired
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Signed, not yet open
- 45
- 0.32 per open outlet · Item 20 Table 5
- Projected new
- 32
- Franchisor's next-year forecast
- Ceased ops
- 0.7%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 26 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- Michigan
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
Where the owners are · Item 20 owner list
117 current owners across 26 states.
- NY 18
- TX 14
- CA 11
- IL 10
- NJ 10
- FL 8
- GA 6
- MD 6
- WA 5
- OH 4
- NC 3
- NE 3
- +14 more states
Counts only, from the list the franchisor prints in Item 20. Names and phone numbers are for your own due diligence and are not shown here.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 3 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 3
- Loan volume
- $2.3M
- Median loan
- $870K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- Under 10 loans (3)
- Insufficient SBA coverage: 3 loans, rate hidden below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- Under 10 loans (3)
- 5-yr charge-off
- Under 10 loans (3)
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 2
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Rapidly scaling GO concept with pending litigation, non-disclosed profitability, and suspicious unit economics raises significant viability concerns for franchisees.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
1 pending consumer class action (Halim v. BWW re: boneless wings marketing). 2 concluded: Wheeldon ($47,500 settlement re: delivery fees) and Pittman ($115,000 settlement re: takeout service fee disclosure). Affiliate injunctive orders for Arby's and Dunkin' re: no-poaching provisions.
Largest disclosed settlement: $650,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · KPMG LLP
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Item 21 audited consolidated financials are for Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. and Subsidiaries (the Parent/guarantor), not the franchisor entity (Buffalo Wild Wings International, Inc.). Figures in thousands; FY ended Dec 29, 2024. Total revenues $2,310,516K include company-owned restaurant sales $2,099,556K, franchise fees and royalty revenues $95,291K, franchise advertising contributions $100,247K, and other revenues $15,422K. Audited by KPMG LLP (Atlanta, GA, March 20, 2025).
ⓘ 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
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 71 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORAggressive unit growth (190.3% YoY) on only 140 units suggests rapid expansion without proven profitability model
- 02MINORThree separate class action lawsuits (one pending) indicate systemic marketing/operational compliance issues
- 03MINORLow franchise fee ($30K) paired with high unit growth is classic predatory expansion model
- 04MINORGO format (ghost kitchen/delivery-only) is unproven model with thin margins vs. traditional B-Dubs
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
Litigation case detail6 matters · Item 3
Litigation cases
The franchisor
Concluded (1)
Divane Pittman v. Buffalo Wild Wings International, Inc. and Inspire Brands, Inc.
settledThird-party plaintiff · filed 2022-07-12 · Maryland state court; removed to the United States District Court for the State of Maryland · 8:22-cv-02173-GJH
“Divane Pittman v. Buffalo Wild Wings International, Inc. and Inspire Brands, Inc., (United States District Court for the State of Maryland, Case No. 8:22-cv-02173-GJH, filed July 12, 2022). On July 12, 2022, a consumer, Divane Pittman (“Pittman”), filed a class action complaint in Maryland state court against us and Inspire Brands that alleged we engaged in deceptive and unfair trade practices”Page 25 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome:“On November 6, 2023, the parties entered into a confidential settlement agreement and mutual release whereby we and Inspire Brands agreed to pay Pittman a total sum of $115,000 in exchange for a release of Pittman’s claims and dismissal of the action. The case was dismissed with prejudice on November 29, 2023.”
Parent, affiliates and predecessor
Pending (1)
Halim v. Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. and Inspire Brands, Inc.
pendingThird-party plaintiff · Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. (“our Parent/guarantor”) and Inspire Brands, Inc. · filed 2023-03-10 · United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois · 1:23-cv-01495
“Halim v. Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. and Inspire Brands, Inc. (United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Case No. 1:23-cv-01495, filed March 10, 2023). Plaintiff in this”Page 24 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome:“This case remains pending. Defendants deny any liability in this matter and intend to defend themselves vigorously.” (page 25)
Concluded (4)
Michelle Wheeldon, Lauran Hopper, and Tamara Wilson v. Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc.
settledThird-party plaintiff · Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. · filed 2021-11-16 · United States District Court for the District of Arizona · 2:21-cv-01947-DLR
“Michelle Wheeldon, Lauran Hopper, and Tamara Wilson v. Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc., (United States District Court for the District of Arizona, Case No. 2:21-cv-01947-DLR, filed November 16, 2021). On November 16, 2021, a consumer, Michelle Wheeldon (“Wheeldon”), filed a class action complaint against Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc.”Page 25 of the 2025 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 exchange for a release of plaintiffs’ claims and a dismissal of the action.”
New York v. Dunkin' Brands, Inc.
concludedGovernment or regulatory action · Dunkin' Brands, Inc. (“DBI”) · filed 2019-09-26 · N.Y. Supreme Court for New York County · 451787/2019
“New York v. Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. (N.Y. Supreme Court for New York County, Case No. 451787/2019, filed September 26, 2019). In this matter, the N.Y. Attorney General (“NYAG”) filed a lawsuit against our affiliate, DBI, related to credential-stuffing cyberattacks during 2015 and 2018.”Page 26 of the 2025 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 complaint. Under the consent order, DBI agreed to pay $650,000 in penalties and costs, issue certain notices and other types of communications to New York customers, and maintain a comprehensive information security program through September 2026” (page 27)
The People of the State of California v. Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc.
settledGovernment or regulatory action · Arby's Restaurant Group, Inc. (“ARG”) · filed 2019-03-19 · California Superior Court, Los Angeles County · 19STCV09397
“The People of the State of California v. Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. (California Superior Court, Los Angeles County, Case No. 19STCV09397, filed March 19, 2019). On March 11, 2019, our affiliate, Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc.”Page 26 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome:“Under the settlement agreement, ARG paid no money but agreed (a) to remove the disputed provision from its franchise agreements (which it had already done); (b) not to enforce the disputed provision in existing agreements or to intervene in any action by the Attorneys General if a franchisee seeks to enforce the provision”
The People of the State of California v. Dunkin' Brands, Inc.
settledGovernment or regulatory action · Dunkin Brands, Inc. (“DBI”) · filed 2019-03-19 · California Superior Court, Los Angeles County · 19STCV09597
“The People of the State of California v. Dunkin’ Brands, Inc., (California Superior Court, Los Angeles County, Case No. 19STCV09597, filed on March 19, 2019.) On March 14, 2019, our affiliate, Dunkin Brands, Inc.”Page 26 of the 2025 FDD, Item 3
Outcome:“The Attorney General of the State of California filed the above-reference lawsuit in order to place the settlement agreement in the public record, and the action was closed after the court approved the parties’ stipulation of judgment.”
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 9.5% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 10 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | Protected territory |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory radius | 3 mi |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 5 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 6 |
| Mandatory arbitration | No |
| Arbitration location | Atlanta, GA |
| Jury trial waiver | No |
| Governing law | GA |
| Litigation count | 6 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
1 pending consumer class action (Halim v. BWW re: boneless wings marketing). 2 concluded: Wheeldon ($47,500 settlement re: delivery fees) and Pittman ($115,000 settlement re: takeout service fee disclosure). Affiliate injunctive orders for Arby's and Dunkin' re: no-poaching provisions.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 18 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 196 hrs
- Training location
- Inspire Brands Support Center, Atlanta, GA or NCTR locations nationwide
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Time to open
- 11 mo
- From signing to launch
- Site selection
- Franchisee with franchisor approval
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Checkmate.com (POS integration); Aloha management functions mentioned
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Checkmate.com (POS integration); Aloha management functions mentioned
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
117 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Buffalo Wild Wings GO franchise?
The total investment to open a Buffalo Wild Wings GO franchise ranges from $564K – $1.1M, with an initial franchise fee of $30K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Buffalo Wild Wings GO franchise owners earn?
Item 19 of the Buffalo Wild Wings GO FDD discloses outlet figures from $363K to $2.3M but no single average across all outlets. These are gross sales figures, not profit; the Revenue section shows what the filing reports and on what basis. Item 20 of the FDD lists current and former franchisees; asking them directly is the standard way to fill this gap.
Who owns Buffalo Wild Wings GO?
Buffalo Wild Wings GO is franchised by Buffalo Wild Wings International, Inc.. Its parent company is Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc.. The ultimate parent named in the FDD is Inspire Brands, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2025 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Buffalo Wild Wings GO 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 GO FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Buffalo Wild Wings GO's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Buffalo Wild Wings GO (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many Buffalo Wild Wings GO franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Buffalo Wild Wings GO has 140 total units in the United States, including 90 franchised units and 50 company-owned units. 60 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Buffalo Wild Wings GO a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Buffalo Wild Wings GO as a A-grade franchise with a verdict score of 71 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). 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.