Data Verification Status: Verified
Data for Buffalo Wild Wings was extracted directly from the 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document filed with state regulators (MN CARDS, WI DFI, or CA DFPI). The actual FDD was directly reviewed and all figures shown are sourced from the government filing. Extracted from 2026 FDD filed with WI DFI (file #640448). Source: 640448-2026-Buffalo-Wild-Wings.pdf Always verify current figures by requesting the most recent FDD directly from the franchisor.
Buffalo Wild Wings
FDD data sourced from 2026 WI DFI filing (file #640448)
Buffalo Wild Wings franchise — WI DFI FDD 2026.
Key Metrics
Total Investment
$2,896,445 – $4,900,320
Initial fee: $25,000
Avg Revenue (Item 19)
$3,574,130
Gross revenue, 2026 FDD
Royalty Rate
5.0
2026 FDD
Total Units
1,178
549 franchised · 629 company
Franchise Overview
| Parent Company | Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. / Inspire Brands |
| Year Founded | 1990 |
| Franchising Since | 1991 |
| Headquarters | WI |
| Category | Food & Beverage |
| FDD Year | 2026 |
Money: What You Pay, What You Make
Investment costs, ongoing fees, and disclosed revenue — FDD Items 5, 6, 7, and 19
Investment Anatomy
Where your initial investment goes — sourced from FDD Item 7.
Where Every Revenue Dollar Goes
Approximate allocation of each dollar of gross sales — from FDD Items 6, 8, and 19. Not a profit projection.
Diligence Scores
Computed from government-filed FDD data. Each score is 0–100. Methodology is public and citation-backed.
System Health
Based on Item 20 outlet trends
Franchisor Strength
Based on Item 21 financials + Items 3-4
Contract Burden
Based on Item 17 terms + Item 12 territory
Economics
Based on Item 19 + fee burden
Confidence
Data completeness + extraction quality
Composite Grade
Economics + Diligence + Confidence
Scores are editorial calculations from cited government filings (2026 FDD). They are not investment advice. Missing economics data does not indicate poor economics — it means Item 19 revenue data is unavailable for scoring. See methodology for details.
Data Coverage
Gov-filed FDD · 2026
6/11
items populated
Item 19 — Financial Performance Representation
| Disclosed metric: Reported Revenue (Type Unspecified)— Profit not disclosed | |
| Average Revenue (Type Unspecified) | $3,574,130 |
| Median Revenue (Type Unspecified) | $3,433,937 |
| Basis | all units |
| Time Period | Annual |
Item 19 Data Quality
Before comparing this revenue figure to other brands, review these data-quality flags.
Revenue type unclear
The FDD does not clearly specify whether figures are gross sales, net sales, or a profit metric. This limits comparability.
Profit not disclosed
Item 19 reports revenue only. No expense breakdown is provided. Profit cannot be determined from this disclosure alone.
All units included
Revenue figure includes all reporting units — broadest, most conservative sample basis.
Sample size not specified
The FDD does not state how many units contributed to this figure.
Current data (2026)
Revenue figures are from 2026 — recent and relevant.
Average and median close
Average ($3,574,130) and median ($3,433,937) are within 15% — reasonably even distribution.
Fee Structure
| Initial Franchise Fee | $25,000 |
| Total Investment Range | $2,896,445 – $4,900,320 |
| Royalty | 5.0 |
| Marketing / Ad Fund | 4.0 |
Operations: The Rules You Live By
Contract terms, territory, suppliers, training, and financing — FDD Items 8, 10, 11, 12, 17
Territory & Encroachment Risk — Item 12
Critical Encroachment Risk
NO exclusive territory — encroachment risk exists; franchisor reserves online/ecommerce sales; population-based territory (60 pop.).
✗ No
Exclusive Terr.
△ Yes
Online Reserved
population
60 pop
Source: FDD Item 12 (Territory) · Encroachment risk score is editorial analysis based on disclosed terms
Contract Terms at a Glance
Key franchise agreement provisions — from FDD Item 17. These define your legal relationship.
System Health: Is It Growing or Shrinking?
Unit openings, closures, transfers, and geographic spread — FDD Item 20
Unit Economics — Item 20 (Outlets & Franchisee Information)
Units Opened
+0
Units Closed
-0
Units Transferred
0
| Net Growth | +0 units |
| Turnover Rate | 0% |
System Composition
Ownership split and 3-year system trajectory — from FDD Item 20.
Outlet Churn Anatomy — Item 20
Exit-type breakdown for the 2026 FDD reporting period. Source: government-filed FDD.
stable System
System is stable — net 0 units. Normal turnover for the category.
Opened
+0
Exited
-0
Net
+0
Franchisor Strength: Can They Support You?
Financial health, litigation history, and audited statements — FDD Items 3, 4, 21
Litigation Summary — Item 3
Active Lawsuits
0
Trend
Lawsuit Types
Franchisor Financial Strength — Item 21
Extracted from audited financial statements filed with the FDD.
Auditor
Independent auditor
Peer Benchmarks
Ranked within food-beverage franchises at a over $500K investment tier. All data from government-filed FDDs.
Buffalo Wild Wings ranks in the top 25% of peers for avg revenue (item 19)
Percentile rank vs. comparable franchises in the same category and investment tier. For revenue and growth: higher percentile = better. For fees and investment: lower percentile = better (bar shows relative advantage).
Buyer Prep: What to Watch For
Key risk areas, questions for existing franchisees, and community insights
Franchisee Interview Prep
Questions to ask current franchisees — generated from red flags, Item 20 exit data, and contract terms in the 2026 FDD. Prioritized: critical questions first.
How responsive is your franchisor rep — do they actually help when you have a problem, or are they just checking boxes?
Look for: Specific stories (not just vague positives). Ask about a time they needed help urgently — response time matters.
If you decided to sell your franchise tomorrow, how easy would that be? Has the franchisor ever blocked or delayed a transfer you wanted?
Look for: Transfer fee surprises, right-of-first-refusal complications, or franchisor demanding upgrades before approving a sale.
What did your revenue look like in year 1 vs. year 2 vs. now? When did you reach breakeven?
Look for: Year 1 revenue is typically well below Item 19 averages (which often exclude ramp-up units). Expect 12-24 months to reach average.
What did the training actually cover vs. what you needed on day 1? What do you wish you'd learned before opening?
Look for: Gap between training content and operational reality. New franchisees often report the training covered theory but not real-world situations.
Knowing everything you know now, would you sign this franchise agreement again? What would you negotiate differently?
Look for: This is the single highest-signal question. Listen for hesitation. Franchisees rarely criticize their decision publicly; even mild reservations are meaningful.
How responsive is corporate support when you have an operational problem? Can you give me an example of when you needed help and how they responded?
Look for: Same-day response vs. days-long wait. Whether field support visits are proactive or only reactive. Quality of the franchisee hotline.
Community
Not FDD dataAnonymous Owner Submissions
No owner submissions yet for Buffalo Wild Wings. Be the first — your data helps future buyers.
Buyer Memo
One-page printable summary: investment, revenue, flags, and questions to ask.
View Memo →Full Diligence Memo
Item 19, system health, red flags, contract terms — cited to the filed FDD.
Full Analysis →Lender Readiness Pack
SBA-ready summary: investment ranges, scenario economics, franchisor financials.
View Lender Pack →Get the Full Report
Standard
$29
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- Red flag deep dive
- FDD summary (Items 1-23)
Premium
$79
- Everything in Standard
- Item 19 financial modeling
- Competitor comparison
- Community data overlay
Executive
$199
- Everything in Premium
- 10-year pro forma model
- Litigation deep dive
- Territory analysis & map
Data sourced from the 2026 FDD filed with a state franchise regulator (WI DFI/CARDS filing). Fields not extractable from the PDF are shown as not available. Last updated 2026-04-01.
Extracted from 2026 FDD filed with WI DFI (file #640448). Source: 640448-2026-Buffalo-Wild-Wings.pdf
Franchisel is independent and does not accept payments from franchisors. Scores reflect editorial analysis, not franchisor endorsement.