Buffalo Wild Wings Franchise
Cost, fees, owner earnings, closure rate and litigation for a Buffalo Wild Wings franchise — pulled from the franchisor's own public FDD (2026), not its sales material.
Disclosure honesty
Buffalo Wild Wings discloses earnings (Item 19) — but the grade is how honestly. We graded it C.
What their own earnings claim actually says
2025 AUV data for 532 franchised sports bars. Median AUV $3,433,937; average $3,574,130. Excludes new openings, temporarily closed units, company-owned outlets. No net income/profit data provided.
What a Buffalo Wild Wings franchise actually costs to run
| Fee | Disclosed | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $25,000 | Item 5 — paid up front, before you open |
| Royalty | 5% of gross sales | Item 6 — charged on revenue, not profit |
| Advertising fund | 4% of gross sales | Item 6 — brand marketing, spent at the franchisor's discretion |
| Total recurring fees | 9% of gross sales | Before rent, labor, food or debt service |
| Total initial investment | $2,896,445 – $4,900,320 | Item 7 — franchisor's own low/high estimate |
5% royalty first half, then greater of 5% or current form rate (max +0.5% per term). 4% advertising (3.5% cap for full term). Multiple incentive programs available; fees non-refundable.
Royalty and ad-fund percentages are charged on gross sales — an owner pays them whether or not the location is profitable.
Buffalo Wild Wings system size and owner turnover
| Total outlets | 1,178 |
| Ceased operations | 4 |
| Terminated by franchisor | 15 |
| Transferred to new owners | 8 |
| Closure rate | 0.3% of outlets |
4 franchised closures in 2025; 15 terminations; 8 transfers indicate modest instability.
From Item 20 of the FDD 2026. Terminations and ceased operations are the franchisor's own count of owners who stopped — the number the sales pitch leaves out.
Is Buffalo Wild Wings worth it? — how it compares to 164 similar franchises
| Ongoing fees | 9% of sales | steeper than 68% of quick service restaurants franchises |
| Startup cost | from $2,896,445 | pricier than 99% of peers |
| Disclosure honesty | Grade C | typical for the category |
| Closure rate | 0.3% of outlets | better than most (median 1.3%) |
| Disclosed lawsuits | 3 | more litigious than 74% of peers |
Benchmarked against every quick service restaurants franchise we've graded from public FDDs — the context the franchisor's pitch never gives you.
Owner take-home for a Buffalo Wild Wings
The franchisor's framing: 2025 AUV data for 532 franchised sports bars. Median AUV $3,433,937; average $3,574,130. E… We reconstruct what an owner actually keeps, from their own FDD.
- Reconstructed owner P&L — net take-home after royalty, ad fund, rent, labor & debt
- Break-even timeline + cash-on-cash ROI
- Full fee stack + required-purchase markups
- Decoded real failure / closure rate
- How it ranks vs comparable franchises
- Validation-call playbook — the exact questions to ask
See a full sample report → · 30-day guarantee
Buffalo Wild Wings franchise — frequently asked
- How much does a Buffalo Wild Wings franchise cost?
- The FDD lists a total initial investment of about $2,896,445–$4,900,320, including a $25,000 initial franchise fee.
- How much do Buffalo Wild Wings franchise owners make?
- 2025 AUV data for 532 franchised sports bars. Median AUV $3,433,937; average $3,574,130. Excludes new openings, temporarily closed units, company-owned outlets. No net income/profit data provided. We grade this disclosure C for honesty.
- What are the Buffalo Wild Wings franchise fees?
- Buffalo Wild Wings' FDD discloses a $25,000 initial franchise fee, a 5% royalty on gross sales, a 4% advertising-fund contribution, for roughly 9% of gross sales in recurring fees before rent, labor, or debt service. 5% royalty first half, then greater of 5% or current form rate (max +0.5% per term). 4% advertising (3.5% cap for full term). Multiple incentive programs available; fees non-refundable.
- What is the Buffalo Wild Wings franchise profit margin?
- Buffalo Wild Wings does not publish a franchisee net-profit margin — almost no franchisor does. What Item 19 actually shows: 2025 AUV data for 532 franchised sports bars. Median AUV $3,433,937; average $3,574,130. Excludes new openings, temporarily closed units, company-owned outlets. No net income/profit data provided. Recurring fees alone take about 9% of gross sales, before rent, labor, food or debt service. Margin has to be reconstructed from the disclosure, not read off it.
- What is the Buffalo Wild Wings franchise failure rate?
- 4 franchised closures in 2025; 15 terminations; 8 transfers indicate modest instability.
- How many Buffalo Wild Wings locations are there?
- Buffalo Wild Wings' FDD reports 1,178 total outlets, with 4 that ceased operations in the most recent reporting year and 8 transferred to new owners. Item 20 is where system health shows up before the marketing does.
- Does Buffalo Wild Wings have complaints or lawsuits?
- Buffalo Wild Wings discloses 3 legal matters in Item 3 of its FDD. Item 3 covers the franchisor's litigation history, which is the closest thing to a public record of how it treats franchisees — read the case descriptions, not just the count.
- Is a Buffalo Wild Wings franchise worth it?
- It depends on the numbers, not the pitch. Buffalo Wild Wings scores C on disclosure honesty, carries about 9% of sales in ongoing fees, and discloses 3 legal matters. Get the real owner take-home before you sign.
Own a Buffalo Wild Wings? Add your real numbers (anonymous)
We publish only aggregated benchmarks — never your name. Contribute and we'll show you how your numbers compare.
Compare Buffalo Wild Wings to similar franchises
See all franchises ranked by disclosure honesty →
Source: MN CARDS 35664-202603-14 (Clean FDD 2026). FranchiseValidate is independent and not affiliated with Buffalo Wild Wings or its franchisor. Figures are extracted from the franchisor's own public disclosure document; verify against the current FDD before any decision.