FranchiseVerdict
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B64/100FDD 2025

Buffalo Wild Wings GO — Litigation & Risk

Food & Beverage - Full Service · FDD Items 3, 4 & 5

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Moderate — Review

3 cases disclosed in FDD Items 3 and 4.

Source: FDD Items 3–5

FDD Items 3 & 4

Litigation Metrics

Cases disclosed
3
Total from FDD Items 3 and 4
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
—
Franchisor or officer bankruptcy
Overall risk score
64 / 100
FranchiseVerdict composite
Rating
MODERATE
STRONG / MODERATE / CAUTION / AVOID

7(a) FOIA data · FY2020–present

SBA Loan Performance

Aggregated from public SBA 7(a) loan disclosures. Default rate is the share of loans that were charged off or settled for less than the full balance.

Total 7(a) loans
3
Government-backed loans issued
Default rate
—
vs <3% typical · system-wide
5-yr default rate
—
Defaults
0 loans
Loans charged off or defaulted
Total loan volume
$2.3M
Avg loan size
$777K
Participating lenders
2

FDD Items 5, 6 & 17 — what you give up

Contract Risk Indicators

Mandatory arbitration
Not required
You retain the right to sue in court
Jury trial waiver
Waived
You give up the right to a jury trial
Non-compete
2 yrs
Post-termination restriction on similar businesses
Franchisor can compete
Yes
Franchisor can open competing locations in or near your territory
Right of first refusal
Yes
Franchisor can match any purchase offer when you try to sell
Governing law
Georgia
State whose law governs disputes — relevant if you're not based there

What drove the 64/100 rating

Risk Score Breakdown

  1. 01MEDNo Item 19 (Average Unit Volume) disclosed despite $18,821 avg revenue being suspiciously low for QSR/sports bar concept
  2. 02MINORAggressive unit growth (190.3% YoY) on only 140 units suggests rapid expansion without proven profitability model
  3. 03MINORThree separate class action lawsuits (one pending) indicate systemic marketing/operational compliance issues
  4. 04MED6% royalty on undisclosed net income creates opacity; franchisees cannot validate ROI against $564K-$1M investment
  5. 05MINORLow franchise fee ($30K) paired with high unit growth is classic predatory expansion model
  6. 06MINORGO format (ghost kitchen/delivery-only) is unproven model with thin margins vs. traditional B-Dubs

Severity inferred from FDD text — not a regulatory or legal classification

Litigation data from FDD Items 3, 4, and 5. SBA data from public 7(a) FOIA records (FY2020–present). Not legal advice — consult a franchise attorney before signing any franchise agreement.