What is the Buffalo Wild Wings trade name, considering Cinnabon's affiliation?
Cinnabon 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 9–25)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Cinnabon's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Buffalo Wild Wings is a franchisor that operates under two names: "Buffalo Wild Wings®" for its sports entertainment-oriented casual sports bars and "Buffalo Wild Wings GO" for restaurants primarily focused on off-premises consumption. 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. Additionally, there were 140 BWW-GO Restaurants operating in the United States (90 franchised and 50 company-owned).
This information is relevant to prospective Cinnabon franchisees because Cinnabon is affiliated with Buffalo Wild Wings through their parent company, Inspire Brands. Understanding the different trade names and franchise models used by Buffalo Wild Wings can provide insight into the broader network and potential synergies within the Inspire Brands portfolio.
For a Cinnabon franchisee, this affiliation could mean potential opportunities for co-branding or shared locations in the future, similar to the existing co-branding arrangements Cinnabon has with Carvel. It also highlights the scale and experience of Inspire Brands in managing multiple franchise systems, which could be a positive factor for franchisees seeking stability and support.