AStrongest tier65/100FDD 2026
Buffalo Wild Wings: Litigation & Risk
Full-Service Restaurants · FDD Items 3, 4 & 5
Elevated Risk
6 cases disclosed in FDD Items 3 and 4.
Source: FDD Items 3–5
FDD Items 3 & 4
Litigation Metrics
- Cases disclosed
- 6
- Total from FDD Items 3 and 4
- Bankruptcy (Item 4)
- None
- Franchisor or officer bankruptcy
- Verdict score
- 65 / 100
- FranchiseVerdict composite · higher is better
- Rating
- A
- A / B / C / D / F verdict grade
7(a) FOIA data · FY2020–present
SBA Loan Performance
Aggregated from public SBA 7(a) loan disclosures. Charge-off rate is the share of loans that were charged off or settled for less than the full balance.
- Total 7(a) loans
- 22
- Government-backed loans issued
- Charge-off rate
- 0.0%
- vs 16% franchise average
- 5-yr charge-off rate
- N/A
- Defaults
- 0 loans
- Loans charged off or defaulted
- Total loan volume
- $13.2M
- Avg loan size
- $600K
- Participating lenders
- 13
FDD Items 5, 6 & 17: What You Give Up
Contract Risk Indicators
- Mandatory arbitration
- Not required
- You retain the right to sue in court
- 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
- GA
- State whose law governs disputes. Relevant if you're not based there
Extracted from FDD Item 3
Litigation Detail
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.
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.