Wings and Rings

By now,&nbsp;<a href="http://ownabuffalo.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=buffalo-wings-rings-sets-new-franchisees-off-on-the-right-foot-with-unparalleled-opening-support-11959" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings</a>&nbsp;is no stranger to Texas&mdash;to date, nearly one third of the brand&rsquo;s locations are scattered throughout the Lone Star state. So when Ismael Cantu opened a restaurant in Brownsville, Texas in May 2016, unsurprisingly, he was met by resounding community support the second he unlocked the doors to the public.

Cantu, a former teacher-turned-entrepreneur, was introduced to&nbsp;<a href="https://buffalowingsandrings.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=buffalo-wings-rings-sets-new-franchisees-off-on-the-right-foot-with-unparalleled-opening-support-11959" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings</a>&nbsp;through a friend who operated a location in South Texas. After visiting the location and learning more about the brand, Cantu knew it was the perfect time to join the Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings system and bring the restaurant to Brownsville.

&ldquo;My friend owns successful Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings locations in South Texas, and I always wanted to open up my own franchise,&rdquo; Cantu said. &ldquo;I love Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings atmosphere, the food and how it offers a club-level experience that allows every guest to feel like a VIP. I knew this brand would be a perfect fit in Brownsville.&rdquo;

The Brownsville location joined a consistently growing family of Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings restaurants. The brand kicked off the first quarter of 2017 by opening new units at an impressive rate of on per month. This momentum comes after a successful 2016, where the brand signed an impressive 12 deals in a single year&mdash;one of which was Cantu&rsquo;s. And when his location first opened its doors in late May of 2016, it was quickly met with a warm reception from the local community&mdash;and things haven&rsquo;t slowed down since.

&ldquo;We have grown a fan base thanks to three things: our great food, atmosphere and service,&rdquo; Cantu said. &ldquo;Celebrating the opening with our guests from Brownsville was an exciting step forward for the community, and I strongly believe we&rsquo;ll become their future &lsquo;go-to&rsquo; restaurant to grab a bite with the family or catch the big game.&rdquo;

David and Brian Bourlier, two franchisees who operate two Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings locations in Florida, share a similar story. When they scheduled the grand opening for their first location in Port Charlotte, they had one concern&mdash;what would bring people through the door? Working together with the corporate team, the Bourliers listened to different marketing tactics that would make their grand opening a success. Bouncing ideas back and forth, the Bourliers wanted to ensure the community was involved and receiving some sort of incentive. &nbsp;

That year, the brand was celebrating its 30th anniversary, so Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings decided the first 84 customers would receive free wings for a year. The brand also sent a street team to go out into Port Charlotte to hand out promotional cards that guests could then bring in to the restaurant, where a server would pull a tab to reveal different prizes, including free appetizers, food for a year or even a plasma TV. The Bourliers sought even more community involvement and worked with the corporate office to plan a heated wing-eating competition between different Port Charlotte high schools hosted by a local radio station with a cash prize on the line. The franchisees also organized the Charlotte County Commissioner, Steven R. Deutsch, to come and welcome Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings to the community.

&ldquo;Everything Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings did to help announce the grand opening has really made a difference in our everyday sales and traffic, and it took a lot of work on everyone&rsquo;s part,&rdquo; David Bourlier said. &ldquo;We saw a dramatic increase in sales for weeks after the grand opening and continue to see more and more people becoming regulars.&rdquo;

Both the Bourliers and Cantu credit the brand&rsquo;s hands-on involvement for helping him make the biggest splash possible in his community&rsquo;s dining scene. In fact, Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings recently adjusted their strategy for grand openings&mdash;moving to a soft opening followed by a grand opening two days later. The Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings team made this decision after finding that waiting the typical six weeks after the restaurant opened as confusing those in the community.

&ldquo;We decided to celebrate from the beginning with activities, giveaways and promos, so once we open the doors and people visit us for the first time, they&rsquo;re getting that little something extra,&rdquo; said Christin Rose, Grand Openings Marketing Association for Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings. &ldquo;This creates even bigger buzz about the brand&rsquo;s upcoming opening to their potential consumer base.&rdquo;

This includes providing fun incentives and specials for guests throughout the opening week, including free food for a year for the first 84 guests to come through their doors.

&ldquo;The key is to make the grand opening representative of the restaurant experience and the brand. While our actual grand opening is kept fairly low-key&mdash;basically involving a ribbon cutting&mdash;our goal is to broadcast the second-to-none guest experience that makes Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings stand out. That&rsquo;s why, it&rsquo;s important that we always treat our new customers with something special to thank them for welcoming us into their community,&rdquo; Rose said.

Buffalo Wings & Rings Sets New Franchisees Off on the Right Foot With Unparalleled Opening Support

1851 Franchise

The brand has introduced a handful of tactics to make the biggest splash possible the second a new restaurant’s doors open

This brand page has been paid for by WINGS AND RINGS. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

buffalo-wings-rings-sets-new-franchisees-off-on-the-right-foot-with-unparalleled-opening-support

FRANCHISE INFORMATION

Own a Wings and Rings

Wings and Rings Momentum

New Menu Offerings

Franchisee Spotlight

Learn

Download Brochure

Visit Website

WINGS AND RINGS

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

YouTube

SOCIAL MEDIA

Restaurant Magazine: Wings and Rings Turns Up the Heat With Bold New Summer Menu and Ongoing Promotions

Wings and Rings Brings the Heat With Fire-Roasted Serrano Wings, Game-Day Combos and Sweet Seasonal Sips

WINGS AND RINGS MOST READ STORIES

1851 LOGIN

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

ABOUT WINGS AND RINGS

CONTACT WINGS AND RINGS

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

First Name

Last Name

Email

Phone

City Of Interest

State / Province

Zip Code

Liquidity

What prompted you to contact us at this time?

Restaurant Magazine: Wings and Rings Turns Up the Heat With Bold New Summer Menu 

wings-and-rings-summer-menu-2025

Wings and Rings Celebrates 40 Years of Wings and Growth: Thriving Q3 Highlights Customer Engagement, Menu Innovations, and Exciting Future Plans

wings-and-rings-celebrates-40-years-of-wings-and-growth-thriving-q3-highlights-customer-engagement-menu-innovations-and-exciting-future-plans

Wings and Rings Kicks-Off 40th Anniversary Celebration on National Chicken Wing Day

wings-and-rings-kicks-off-40th-anniversary-celebration-on-national-chicken-wing-day

Wings and Rings Makes Huge Strides in Q1: Innovations, Loyalty Growth and Strategic Partnerships

wings-and-rings-makes-huge-strides-in-q1

Wings and Rings - Fall LTO - 1851 Franchise

wings-and-rings-fall-lto-2025

Buffalo Wings & Rings Sets New Franchisees Off on the Right Foot With Unparalleled Opening Support

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS