Franchisee Stories
SPONSORED
The Best Run States in the U.S.
North Dakota has been named the best-run state in the country for its fourth consecutive year, but does it make sense for franchising?
For the fourth year in a row, finance blog 24/7 Wall Street has named North Dakota as the best run state in America. Specifically, North Dakota boasts the fastest economic growth of any state, much of which comes from a high rate of inward migration and abundant natural resources.
Not surprisingly, this incredible growth and stability has made the Peace Garden State an attractive target for franchise brands, though not necessarily for the same reasons as those laid out by 24/7 Wall Street.
One franchise brand with its eye firmly on North Dakota is Buffalo Wings & Rings, a family-focused sports restaurant franchise from Cincinnati, Ohio with locations in North Dakota and at least two new franchises on the horizon.
According to the brand, it is that family component that makes North Dakota such a strong target market for Buffalo Wings & Rings.
“North Dakota has a strong family focus, and that fits in perfectly with our values at Buffalo Wings & Rings,” said chief development officer Philip Schram. “Families in the Dakotas like to go out to the city as a family, they like to watch sports together, and they like to go out to eat together.”
According to Schram, the unforgiving climate of North Dakota also helps create the right kind of franchisee for the Buffalo Wings & Rings system.
“North Dakota is cold, and the people there are hard workers with an entrepreneurial spirit,” said Schram. “It is not a vacation place, and prospective franchisees in the area truly care about hard work and family.”
Finally, the manageable population of North Dakota cities means it can be challenging for brand new restaurant concepts to take hold. Schram says that the support and history of a franchise brand helps “roll out the red carpet” in some of the tougher markets.
“North Dakota is in many ways still a new frontier, and people out there want to start businesses and make a difference,” said Schram. “Buffalo Wings & Rings offers a great way for them to do just that, and North Dakota will remain a priority for us going forward.”Don’t Miss the Next Big Franchise Story
Sign up for the 1851 Franchise newsletter to get our biggest stories before everyone else
By signing up, you agree to our user agreement (including class action waiver and arbitration provisions), and acknowledge our privacy policy.
About the Author
Nick Powills
FollowNick Powills, CFE, founded No Limit Agency in 2008 and serves as Chief Brand Strategist for the Chicago-based firm. No Limit is a full-service communications agency that establishes and elevates brands by bridging Public Relations, Social Media, Marketing, Advertising, Digital, and a lot of creativity, to best strategize well-rounded and successful campaigns for 50+ global franchise brands. By presenting visionary ideas and building real relationships, No Limit is able to create effective media branding strategies to help companies grow. Nick currently leads a staff of writers, media strategists, designers, social media experts and digital producers in an office think-tank where brands are humanized for strong, compelling media stories. Prior to starting No Limit at the age of 27, Nick spent four years working at a franchise PR agency where he mastered the art of building rapport with media outlets and creating newsworthy pitches for earned media placements. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Drake University in Iowa.
