The brand also equips its 1,300+ sports bars with GO for takeout and delivery, launches a new Visual ID, and GO-branded e-commerce experience.
In the heart of New York City, Buffalo Wild Wings® celebrated the opening of its 100th standalone BWW® GO location, marking a significant milestone in the brand’s journey of expansion and innovation. As part of the grand opening ceremony, The Munson Restaurant Group and Buffalo Wild Wings team members celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and by giving the first 100 guests to attend the grand opening a booklet redeemable for free wings for a year, along with other surprise giveaways.
With a focus on speed, efficiency, and quality, BWW GO has seen tremendous success since its inception; it is a takeout and delivery business offering the same wings and sauces guests love with ease and convenience, much closer to the off-premise-seeking consumer. Recognizing a significant shift in consumer behavior post-COVID, Buffalo Wild Wings strategically tapped into the burgeoning demand for off-premise dining and key insights from other strong brands in the Inspire portfolio.
In addition to the 100 standalone GO locations, all 1,300+ existing sports bars will now be equipped with GO for takeout and delivery, serving fan favorites such as wings, chicken sandwiches, burgers, hand-breaded tenders, and all 26 Buffalo Wild Wings sauces and dry rubs. The brand has also launched a new Visual ID, a GO branded e-commerce experience, GO-only menu items, and branded creative, most recently seen in this advertisement shown during the final four.
“We’ve taken all the innovation and flavor that keeps Buffalo Wild Wings the largest sports bar brand in America and packed it into a convenient way for our guests to get their favorites on the go,” said John Bowie, Brand President, Buffalo Wild Wings.
In addition to the overwhelmingly positive consumer feedback for BWW GO, franchisees are also excited about the concept, with commitments for nearly 600 more locations. In fact, 85 percent of BWW GO commitments have come from existing Inspire Brands Franchisees; for example, this is the Munson Restaurant Group’s fourth BWW GO, and they also operate Buffalo Wing Wings sports bars and SONIC Drive-In locations in the Northeast.
“Operational efficiencies, streamlined marketing resources, and tremendous brand awareness are just some of the factors that make BWW GO appealing,” said Jack Litman, President, Munson Restaurant Group. “Add to that the flexibility of the footprint and the speed to market, and you have a very desirable concept.”
BWW GO restaurants offer franchisees the flexibility to open locations in various settings, including airports, stadiums, college campuses, and urban areas. Restaurant concepts are tailored to fit a wide variety of real estate scenarios.
With over 1,300 existing sports bars now equipped with GO for takeout and delivery, and with plans to have more than 150 standalone GO locations open by the end of the year, including expansions into key markets like Philadelphia, New York City, Chicago, Seattle, California, and Texas, the brand is poised for exciting growth in the coming years.
