Since 1984, elevated sports restaurant and bar franchise Buffalo Wings & Rings has perfected its business model and franchise opportunity. Now, the brand has a footprint of more than 85 locations across the globe and shows no signs of slowing down. Part of that success can be attributed to the amount of support and respect Buffalo Wings & Rings provides its franchisees. The brand created a franchise advisory council, for example, to ensure owners felt as though they had a voice in the overall trajectory of the brand.
Frances Zwick, multi-unit Buffalo Wings & Rings franchisee, is one of the members on the council. Zwick’s career in the restaurant industry began with the 66-unit pizza franchise LaRosa’s, where she worked her way up to director of operations at a restaurant in Greendale, Indiana. After opening her first Buffalo Wings & Rings location in Greendale, almost six years ago, she opened a second location in Greensburg, Indiana in 2018 and a third one in Union, Kentucky in 2020. During that time, Zwick volunteered to join the Buffalo Wings & Rings franchise advisory council.
“Everyone on the council has different areas of expertise and focuses on different areas of the business,” said Zwick. “Every quarter, we review topics and go over what the company is working on. We then give the corporate team feedback from the franchisee perspective.”
Zwick says the council is broken down into sub-committees that are each responsible for a specific department. “One of the groups I’m involved in is responsible for operations, and we’ve been working on a system to try to identify operational inefficiencies and make improvements chain-wide,” she said. “For example, we tested the new POS before it was rolled out to stores in order to fix some of the bugs. There’s also a group that is dedicated to new product testing. They give feedback on potential item rollouts and whether or not they’re successful. The corporate office will test it first and then give it to us. There is a seamless transition between corporate and the franchise council, so it's nice to have both perspectives.”
David Bourlier, who is a multi-unit owner in Florida, is also a member of the franchise advisory council. Bourlier first invested in Buffalo Wings & Rings 12 years ago after successfully growing his own drywall company in Michigan.
“The council’s main goal is to help make the business easier and more profitable for franchisees,” said Bourlier. “This could include streamlining new product rollouts or optimizing communications between the franchisees. The council is here for the same reason as I am — to better the brand and help with future growth.”
In recent years, Zwick says the franchise advisory council has been a key component of Buffalo Wings & Rings’ success. “The people in the corporate office do a fantastic job in their individual areas, but it can be very hard to relay that message to franchisees and get their take,” she said. “That’s why this council is so important and I would encourage other franchisees to become a part of it. Corporate needs the feedback to make sure that things are flowing the right way, and franchisees want to be heard. Communication on both sides of the fence is invaluable.”
Today, Zwick and Bourlier say the Buffalo Wings & Rings franchise advisory council is gaining even more momentum as the sub-committees and corporate team members build collaborative relationships.
“The decisions we make are for the whole chain, not just one particular location,” said Zwick. “Everyone is accounted for. I’ve been very pleased with the direction we’re going. Plus now, everyone at the corporate office is more understanding and happier to reach out to franchisees if they need something. There’s more trust.”
Thomas Flaherty, chief development officer for Buffalo Wings & Rings, says the franchisees aren’t the only ones who benefit from the council — the corporate team relies heavily on its network of franchisees to advance the brand.
“As we continue to grow across the country, our franchisees are the eyes and ears of the operations,” said Flaherty. “Having a unified franchise advisory council that can speak on behalf of all of our franchisees is an invaluable resource in ensuring we grow the right way and position all of our incoming and existing owners for continued success.”
Now, the wing franchise is looking for qualified partners to help grow the brand in multiple new territories across the country, including Florida, Texas, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.
For more information on Buffalo Wings & Rings, the investment and financial qualifications, please visit: ownabuffalo.com.
Wings and Rings
SPONSORED
The sports restaurant and bar franchise stands out in the segment by giving franchisees a platform to share their opinions, express concerns and gather best practices.
Since 1984, elevated sports restaurant and bar franchise Buffalo Wings & Rings has perfected its business model and franchise opportunity. Now, the brand has a footprint of more than 85 locations across the globe and shows no signs of slowing down. Part of that success can be attributed to the amount of support and respect Buffalo Wings & Rings provides its franchisees. The brand created a franchise advisory council, for example, to ensure owners felt as though they had a voice in the overall trajectory of the brand.
Frances Zwick, multi-unit Buffalo Wings & Rings franchisee, is one of the members on the council. Zwick’s career in the restaurant industry began with the 66-unit pizza franchise LaRosa’s, where she worked her way up to director of operations at a restaurant in Greendale, Indiana. After opening her first Buffalo Wings & Rings location in Greendale, almost six years ago, she opened a second location in Greensburg, Indiana in 2018 and a third one in Union, Kentucky in 2020. During that time, Zwick volunteered to join the Buffalo Wings & Rings franchise advisory council.
“Everyone on the council has different areas of expertise and focuses on different areas of the business,” said Zwick. “Every quarter, we review topics and go over what the company is working on. We then give the corporate team feedback from the franchisee perspective.”
Zwick says the council is broken down into sub-committees that are each responsible for a specific department. “One of the groups I’m involved in is responsible for operations, and we’ve been working on a system to try to identify operational inefficiencies and make improvements chain-wide,” she said. “For example, we tested the new POS before it was rolled out to stores in order to fix some of the bugs. There’s also a group that is dedicated to new product testing. They give feedback on potential item rollouts and whether or not they’re successful. The corporate office will test it first and then give it to us. There is a seamless transition between corporate and the franchise council, so it's nice to have both perspectives.”
David Bourlier, who is a multi-unit owner in Florida, is also a member of the franchise advisory council. Bourlier first invested in Buffalo Wings & Rings 12 years ago after successfully growing his own drywall company in Michigan.
“The council’s main goal is to help make the business easier and more profitable for franchisees,” said Bourlier. “This could include streamlining new product rollouts or optimizing communications between the franchisees. The council is here for the same reason as I am — to better the brand and help with future growth.”
In recent years, Zwick says the franchise advisory council has been a key component of Buffalo Wings & Rings’ success. “The people in the corporate office do a fantastic job in their individual areas, but it can be very hard to relay that message to franchisees and get their take,” she said. “That’s why this council is so important and I would encourage other franchisees to become a part of it. Corporate needs the feedback to make sure that things are flowing the right way, and franchisees want to be heard. Communication on both sides of the fence is invaluable.”
Today, Zwick and Bourlier say the Buffalo Wings & Rings franchise advisory council is gaining even more momentum as the sub-committees and corporate team members build collaborative relationships.
“The decisions we make are for the whole chain, not just one particular location,” said Zwick. “Everyone is accounted for. I’ve been very pleased with the direction we’re going. Plus now, everyone at the corporate office is more understanding and happier to reach out to franchisees if they need something. There’s more trust.”
Thomas Flaherty, chief development officer for Buffalo Wings & Rings, says the franchisees aren’t the only ones who benefit from the council — the corporate team relies heavily on its network of franchisees to advance the brand.
“As we continue to grow across the country, our franchisees are the eyes and ears of the operations,” said Flaherty. “Having a unified franchise advisory council that can speak on behalf of all of our franchisees is an invaluable resource in ensuring we grow the right way and position all of our incoming and existing owners for continued success.”
Now, the wing franchise is looking for qualified partners to help grow the brand in multiple new territories across the country, including Florida, Texas, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky.
For more information on Buffalo Wings & Rings, the investment and financial qualifications, please visit: ownabuffalo.com.
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