Franchisees on the power of Buffalo Wild Wings GO

Buffalo Wild Wings (BWW) recently announced the opening of its 100th standalone BWW GO, marking a significant milestone in the brand’s journey of expansion and innovation. In addition to more than 100 standalone GO locations, all 1,300-plus sports bars are now equipped with GO for takeout and delivery, serving fan favorites alongside exclusive GO menu items throughout the country.

Innovative formats like BWW GO improve profitability and flexibility for Inspire franchisees while providing more choice for consumers.

Kajal Patel is the CEO of The Hena Group, a franchisee that operates Dunkin’, Baskin-Robbins and BWW GO locations in the Midwest. As the daughter of a donut maker turned franchisee, Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins were constants throughout Kajal’s childhood. “My brother and I grew up in the restaurant. Our clients became our extended family, creating lasting relationships that I still cherish today.

After watching her father realize his American dream, Kajal’s ambition drove her to become a franchisee herself and take over the family business. As his passion for the industry grew, so did his strategy to introduce more growth and diversification into the Hena Group portfolio.

“Inspire has brought many opportunities to Dunkin’ franchisees, and BWW GO is a great example,” says Kajal. In 2023, it opened its first BWW GO, expanding the Hena Group portfolio with Inspire’s multi-brand platform. “BWW GO attracts a different clientele and expands its sources of revenue; it’s a totally different aspect of the food and beverage industry.

Kajal says, “Continuing to expand the Hena Group portfolio with Dunkin’ and BWW GO is exciting. This growth will not only strengthen our business, but also open doors to new markets and demographics.

Bill Mulholland owns The Mulholland Network franchise based in New Jersey, operating the Dunkin’ and BWW GO locations. Bill purchased his first Dunkin’ in 2010 after years of running a successful delivery business; At the time, he didn’t expect a Dunkin’ to become the multi-unit franchise it has today. Today, Bill not only operates 38 Dunkin’s, but also owns much of the property his locations are built on. For him, small footprint concepts are ideal for maximizing the real estate he owns, and BWW GO does just that.

“The unit economics of a BWW GO are very powerful,” says Bill. “We can achieve with 1,300 square feet what most others need at least 2,000 square feet.” And because we need less space, we need fewer people to operate. This makes our EBITDA and ROI much higher.

As Inspire continues to leverage format innovation to maximize real estate efficiencies, franchisees also have the ability to co-locate complementary brands on the same parcel of land. The Mulholland network recently opened a BWW GO behind an existing Dunkin’ drive-thru. “They’re on the same property and have a common wall separating them so they can operate independently of each other,” says Bill. “This allows us to have two Inspire brands under the same roof.”

Bill currently operates three BWW GO locations in New Jersey and plans to accelerate openings over the next three years. “With GO, we are truly ripping the cover off the ball. »

Jasmine Sandhu and Jarmanjeet “Jimmy” Boparai are the husband and wife franchise team behind Valley Wings based in Houston, Texas. As entrepreneurs from a strong family of successful franchisees, the two opened their first BWW GO restaurants in San Juan and Edinburg, Texas.

“Our Inspire journey began with BWW GO. After hearing about the concept, we knew it was going to be the next big thing and we had to be a part of it,” says Jasmine. “Looking back, it was a great decision – we couldn’t have joined at a better time. »

After signing with BWW GO in 2022, Jasmine and Jimmy saw BWW GO “blow up.”

“I remember when we opened our first location; the enthusiasm from the local community was incredible,” recalls Jasmine. “Customers love Buffalo Wild Wings as a sports bar, and now they can enjoy the same delicious taste on the ‘GO.’ »

Since opening their second BWW GO in May, Jasmine and Jimmy have additional locations in the works for Valley Wings. “The GO concept was created with evolving needs in mind, and we look forward to introducing it to new customers as the brand grows,” says Jasmine.

Jack Litman is the President of New York-based Munson Restaurant Group, a franchisee that first joined the Inspire family as a SONIC franchisee in 2021 before quickly expanding to own and operate BWW sports bar and GO locations. “I made meaningful connections with the Inspire team, and those relationships allowed me to expand into other brands,” says Jack.

Today, The Munson Restaurant Group operates ten SONIC drive-in theaters, seven BWW sports bars and five BWW GOs. “With a small footprint and a construction cost of a 2:1 sales ratio, GO is ripe for development,” says Jack. “Size also makes it easier to enter markets, taking products where they may never have been offered before.” In Manhattan, where space is especially limited, GO franchisees like Jack’s are providing New Yorkers with the wings and sauces they love in places sports bars couldn’t fit.

Jack’s third BWW GO also marked the BWW brand’s 100th standalone GO, which Inspire and The Munson Group celebrated with a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony in the heart of New York City. Jack has two other GOs currently under construction, including a SONIC and BWW GO co-location that will operate on the same footprint. “Without our creative and strategic partners at Inspire, we could never have achieved this,” says Jack.

Currently, Inspire has commitments for nearly 600 additional BWW GO locations. More than 85% of these commitments come from existing Inspire franchisees, including expansion plans in key markets like Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Seattle, California and Texas.

Interested in franchising with Inspire? Visit inspirebrands.com/franchising for more details.