Quick Verdict · who it fits
Buffalo Wild Wings fits first-time franchise buyers looking for a mature food & beverage concept.
The numbers a buyer needs first — straight from the filing.
Initial investment (Item 7)
$2.5M - $4.9M
Franchise fee (Item 5)
$25K
Royalty (Item 6)
5% + 2–4% ad
Item 19 median rev
$3.43M all franchised units
System size (Item 20)
549 +15
Agreement term
20 yrs
Years in business
36+ yrs
Company-owned units
629
Model Buffalo Wild Wings's costs in the investment calculator → Prefilled from this filing — startup cost, cash flow and break-even.
Data extracted from the 2026 FDD filed with state regulators. Fees and terms may have changed since filing — request the current FDD from the franchisor before deciding. Not legal, financial, or investment advice. Full disclaimer.
Where units actually land — not just the headline average.
P25
$2.37M
Median
$3.43M
P75
$4.88M
▪ n = 532 units · all franchised units · Source: 2026 FDD Item 19
Drag to your projected annual sales. Royalty 5% + ad fund 2–4% on gross sales.
PROJECTED ANNUAL SALES$3,430,000
$100k$6.2M
Royalty (5%)
—
Ad fund (2–4%)
—
Total / year
—
▪ Of-sales fees only · excludes rent, labor, COGS, and one-time costs · for illustration
Free AI summary — the first read on the filing.
1,178
Total units open
11 franchised units
Units opened last year
15 new franchised locations minus 4 closures
4 franchised units
Units closed last year
11 franchised units
Net unit growth
net system decline of 5 total units due to company-owned reductions
What our analysis flagged across the 2026 filing.
5
Risks to review
4
Strengths identified
5
Questions to ask
How Buffalo Wild Wings ranks against 811 Food & Beverage peers we've analyzed.
Initial investment
97th pct · of 811 peers
Franchise fee
10th pct · of 811 peers
System size
92nd pct · of 811 peers
Food & Beverage industry averages
Avg investment
$528K - $1.3M
Avg franchise fee
$38K
Avg system size
235
Franchises analyzed
811
Closest concepts by category and investment.
| Brand | Item 19 | Fee | Investment | Royalty | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Wild Wings | Disclosed | $25K | $2.5M - $4.9M | 5% | 549 |
| BycSimilar price | None | $10K | $1.7M - $4.9M | 4.5% | 40 |
| Doctor's AssociatesBiggest system | None | $15K | $227K - $630K | 8% | 18,773 |
| Vintage Hospitality GroupTop-rated in category | Disclosed | $50K | $3.5M - $6.4M | 5.5% | 33 |
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Free explainers to go deeper before you sign.
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Brand Analysis
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. reported 656 company-operated stores in 43 states as of January 30, 2026, and the brand has never sold a franchise. Huddle House and Another Broken Egg cover the same daypart with filed FDDs, at $555,375 to $1,715,275 and $792,500 to $1,804,000.
Buffalo Wild Wings requires a $25,000 initial franchise fee and a total initial investment range of $2,463,945–$4,900,320, per the most recent FDD on file.
Buffalo Wild Wings is franchised by Buffalo Wild Wings International, Inc., the franchisor entity of record on its Franchise Disclosure Document. Item 1 of the FDD discloses the franchisor's corporate history, parents, and predecessors.
Yes. Buffalo Wild Wings discloses Item 19 financial performance representations with reported revenue around $3,433,937. See the financials sub-page for the full distribution.
Franchisees pay a royalty of 5% of Gross Sales and an advertising fund contribution of 4% of Gross Sales; 2% for Non-Traditional Locations on gross sales as defined in Item 6 of the FDD.
As of their 2026 FDD, Buffalo Wild Wings has 549 total locations, with 15 new locations opened in the most recent reporting year. This information comes from Item 20 of the FDD.
Per the FDD, Buffalo Wild Wings discloses an initial agreement term of 20 years, a renewal fee of $20,000, a transfer fee of $12,500. Review Items 10 and 17 for the full renewal and termination provisions.
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