When did Buffalo Wild Wings begin offering franchises for BWW-GO Restaurants, considering its affiliation with Carvel?
Carvel Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Buffalo Wild Wings is a franchisor of sports entertainment-oriented casual sports bars that feature chicken wings, sandwiches, and other products, alcoholic and other beverages, and related services under Buffalo Wild Wings® name ("Buffalo Wild Wings Sports Bars") and restaurants that feature chicken wings and other food and beverage products primarily for offpremises consumption under the Buffalo Wild Wings GO name ("BWW-GO Restaurants"). Buffalo Wild Wings has offered franchises for Buffalo Wild Wings Sports Bars since April 1991 and for BWW-GO Restaurants since December 2020. As of December 29, 2024, there were 1,183 Buffalo Wild Wings Sports Bars operating in the United States (538 franchised and 645 company-owned) and 65 franchised Buffalo Wild Wings or B-Dubs restaurants operating outside the United States. As of December 29, 2024, there were 140 BWW-GO Restaurants operating in the United States (90 franchised and 50 companyowned).
Source: Item 1 — The Franchisor and any Parents, Predecessors, and Affiliates (FDD pages 9–24)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Carvel's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Buffalo Wild Wings began offering franchises for its BWW-GO Restaurants in December 2020. As of December 29, 2024, there were 140 BWW-GO Restaurants operating in the United States, with 90 being franchised and 50 company-owned.
Buffalo Wild Wings is an affiliate of Carvel through Inspire Brands, Inc. Inspire Brands is a parent company to several franchisors, including Buffalo Wild Wings. This affiliation means that while Carvel franchisees are not obligated to purchase products or services from Buffalo Wild Wings, they may have the option to do so.
For a prospective Carvel franchisee, this information provides insight into the broader network of affiliated franchises and potential opportunities for collaboration or cross-promotion. However, the FDD clearly states that none of the affiliated franchisors are obligated to provide products or services to Carvel franchisees, so any such arrangements would be at the franchisee's discretion.