Buffalo Wild Wings & Weck (BW3) was founded in 1982 by
James Disbrow and Scott Lowery, whose parents were Disbrow's ice skating coaches and guardians when he was younger. Meeting up in
Kent, Ohio, after Disbrow had finished judging an amateur figure skating competition at
Kent State University, the pair were unable to locate a restaurant that served Buffalo-style chicken wings. They decided to open their own restaurant, selecting a location near
Ohio State University in Columbus. The "
Weck" in the original title refers to
beef on weck, a sandwich originally served at the restaurant. Within six months of opening, the pair brought on an additional partner, Mark Lutz. Over the next decade, they added six additional locations in Ohio, Indiana, and Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The company began to franchise in 1992 by working with Francorp, a Chicago-based law firm. The original franchise fee was $15,000 to $20,000 plus a percentage of sales. Its bottled wing sauces were then manufactured by Wilsey, Inc. of Atlanta. The company's headquarters was set up in 1992 in Cincinnati. By 1993, eight more locations were added, primarily in Ohio. Disbrow died in October 2002, while Smith continued as company executive with Lowery as vice president of franchise construction. There were 211 locations in 27 states by the end of third quarter of 2003. In 2010, the company announced an expansion into Canada. In 2015, Buffalo Wild Wings expanded in the
United Arab Emirates when it opened a restaurant in
Dubai. In March 2023, there were 12 Canadian locations, however by June, all Canadian locations closed down. In March 2013, the company took a minority stake in PizzaRev upscale pizza restaurant. In August 2014, BW3 had purchased a majority stake in Rusty Taco chain and changed its name to R Taco the next year. In November 2017,
Roark Capital Group and
The Wendy's Company, co-owners of
Arby's Restaurant Group, announced its plan to purchase the chain for about $2.4 billion plus debt. This deal was completed on February 5, 2018 with Arby's Restaurant Group being renamed
Inspire Brands and set up as the holding parent company to Arby's, Buffalo Wild Wings, and R Taco. Inspire Brands intends for each restaurant to keep their individual brands, name, logos, and operating autonomously. On September 5, 2018, Inspire Brands subsidiary R Taco announced it was changing its name back to Rusty Taco. In 2019, Buffalo Wild Wings announced a multiyear deal with
MGM Resorts International and its sports betting venture Roar Digital. In 2020, Buffalo Wild Wings announced a national partnership the
League of Legends Championship Series (LCS). During the
2022 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, Buffalo Wild Wings signed a sponsorship deal with
Doug Edert, a breakout star of the
Saint Peter's team that went on to become the first 15-seed ever to make a regional tournament final. In June 2023, Buffalo Wild Wings had exited the Canadian market after closing its 5 remaining locations in Ontario. As of July 20, 2025, Buffalo Wild Wings reported trailing twelve-month operating revenue of approximately US $1.035 billion, a 3.2 % decline from the prior year. The company’s net income for the first quarter of 2024 was around US $87 million, with earnings per share (EPS) of US $0.38. ==Concept==