As the brand plans for development throughout Kansas, Buffalo Wings & Rings recently opened a new restaurant in Wichita, Kansas. This marks the first location for the franchise in the state. According to an article in The Wichita Eagle, the restaurant is already finding a fast following.

Wichita locals and business partners Kevin Breshears, Zachary Blue and Zac's father, Randy Blue, are the franchisees of the Wichita Buffalo Wings & Rings. Breshears first discovered the elevated sports brand while visiting its location in Omaha, NE on work travel and thought it would be a great fit for the Wichita market.

“There are several full-service restaurants in Wichita, but the city was in need of a family-friendly joint where locals can grab great wings and food while enjoying an exciting game with the kids or friends,” said Breshears.

Breshears then connected with Zac Blue, the two having extensive backgrounds in the restaurant industry from their previous careers, as well as Zac's father, Randy, and they began researching the Buffalo Wings & Rings franchise opportunity. Believing the brand could deliver a higher level of hospitality and product to the Wichita community compared to competing establishments in the city, the two attended a Discovery Day in Cincinnati to meet the corporate team.

“We went through the Discovery Day process in Cincinnati and toured a bunch of restaurants with the corporate team,” said Zac Blue. “They were vetting us as much as we were vetting them. We came back after that and thought this would be a great thing to do. The corporate team was a big part of why we chose the franchise. The franchisor provides excellent support, more than any other franchise I’ve dealt with in the past.”

Breshears and the Blues signed on to open their first Buffalo Wings & Rings restaurant in Wichita in June 2016 and are now open for business. The entrepreneurial partners also plan to bring two additional locations to the greater Wichita market over the next few years.

The Wichita restaurant marks the franchise’s first location in the state, prompting a desire for quick and scaled development throughout Kansas. Buffalo Wings & Rings is targeting major cities in Kansas for further growth including Overland Park, Kansas City, Olathe, Topeka and Lawrence.

“Our brand has seen great success in markets similar to those found throughout the state of Kansas. The culture and family-focused atmosphere matches that of nearby Lincoln and Omaha where we have incredible operators seeing success,” said Buffalo Wings Chief Development Officer Philip Schram. “We hope to have our second location in Kansas open by 2020 and are targeting the suburbs of Kansas City and the key county seats across the state with a population of 30,000 or more.”

Alongside major cities in Kansas, Buffalo Wings & Rings is also pushing for further growth in markets in its home state of Ohio, including its headquarter city, Cincinnati, and Columbus.

“At Buffalo Wings & Rings, we focus on community involvement and providing guests with an unforgettable, valuable experience - which is why we tend to see success in rural, suburban markets just outside of large cities,” said Schram. “Opening in Kansas is in line with our strategy to grow the ‘Vertical of the Great Plains’ spanning from North Dakota to Texas.”

To learn more about franchise opportunities with Buffalo Wings & Rings and view additional open territories for the brand, visit www.ownabuffalo.com