Buffalo Wings & Rings franchise: cost, fees & unit track record
Opening a Buffalo Wings & Rings franchise takes $1,110,200 – $1,561,600 all-in, per its franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05). The initial franchise fee is $10,000 – $40,000. Anything the filings do not state is marked "Not disclosed" below — never estimated. The ledger below itemizes every figure we can source for Buffalo Wings & Rings, each one dated, so you can check the numbers before anyone gets your contact details.
Buffalo Wings & Rings franchise costs and fees
| Verification mark | Cost item | Low | High | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise feeOne-time, paid to the franchisor at signing | $10,000 | $40,000 | $10,000 to $40,000 | |
| Initial investment (all-in)FDD Item 7-derived range: build-out, equipment, opening costs | $1,110,200 | $1,561,600 | $1,110,200 to $1,561,600 | |
| Net worth requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | Not disclosed1 | Not disclosed1 | ||
| Liquid cash requiredFranchisor's stated qualification minimum | Not disclosed1 | Not disclosed1 | ||
| Cash to open (all-in range) | $1,110,200 | $1,561,600 | $1,110,200 to $1,561,600 | |
- 1 "Not disclosed" means Buffalo Wings & Rings's filings do not state this figure. We publish the gap instead of estimating it.
| RoyaltyOngoing, % of sales | Not disclosed |
|---|---|
| Ad fundOngoing, % of sales | Not disclosed |
| Initial termLength of the first franchise agreement | Not disclosed |
See the full Buffalo Wings & Rings cost breakdown — what's in that number and what isn't
How Buffalo Wings & Rings's cost compares
A dollar figure means more with a yardstick. Here is where Buffalo Wings & Rings's disclosed cost sits against the Food & Beverage category:
- Minimum startup cost of $1,110,200 — about 3.9× the Food & Beverage median of $282,500.
- Initial franchise fee of $10,000 — about 71% below the Food & Beverage median of $35,000.
Category medians are computed from the Food & Beverage brands in our data that disclosed each figure — a benchmark for scale, not a quality judgment. See all Food & Beverage franchises
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How Buffalo Wings & Rings's units have held up
Openings and closures from FDD Item 20-style unit history, 2012–2017: began the window at 47 units; 29 units opened, 18 closed, ending at 53 units.
What about earnings?
We don't publish per-brand earnings figures — for Buffalo Wings & Rings or anyone else. The only primary source is Item 19 of the brand's own franchise disclosure document (FDD), and no law requires a franchisor to publish one, so the "average owner income" numbers circulating elsewhere are usually unsourced or survivorship-biased. Ask Buffalo Wings & Rings for its current FDD and read Item 19 yourself — and if there is no Item 19, that silence is information too.
What this data can't tell you
Everything on this page comes from disclosure filings — fees, ranges, and unit counts. Four questions that matter just as much are not in any filing we can source, so we say so instead of guessing:
- The hours and the labor
- No dataset field says whether Buffalo Wings & Rings is a manage-from-a-laptop business or a 60-hour week in disguise. Item 15 of the FDD states whether you're obligated to run the business personally, and Item 11 lists what the franchisor actually does for you — then ask current owners what their week looks like (validation calls), not the sales team.
- How hands-on the ownership really is
- "Semi-absentee" is a pitch, not a filing field. Treat any hands-off claim as unverified until it's consistent with Item 15 and with what multiple current franchisees tell you — what absentee ownership actually means.
- Your territory — whether it's protected, and whether it's open
- Two territory questions sit outside our data. Whether Buffalo Wings & Rings grants a protected or exclusive area is set in Item 12 of the FDD and varies brand to brand — some grant none, and the carve-outs (online sales, national accounts) matter as much as the map. And filing data can't say what's open in your market this month; only Buffalo Wings & Rings can confirm current availability. Ask both before you inquire, and get the answer in writing.
- What owners earn
- Covered honestly above: our dataset has no earnings fields, the only primary source is the brand's own Item 19, and here is how to read that evidence.
About the Buffalo Wings & Rings franchise
Buffalo Wings & Rings is a food & beverage franchisor with 53 units at the end of 2017 (FDD Item 20-style unit history). Between 2012 and 2017, it began the window at 47 units; its filings record 29 unit openings and 18 closures, ending at 53 units. Its parent company is Buffalo Wings & Rings, LLC.
Disclosure filings report 1 franchise-related lawsuit. Review Item 3 of the FDD. (as of 2026-05)
From the franchisor's materials
Buffalo Wings & Rings is a restaurant brand where everyone is a VIP, worthy of the ultimate sports restaurant experience. With over 45 locations, we're taking game time to the next level with a bright, inviting dining room, 50+ TVs, elevated fan experiences, a chef-inspired menu and of course our signature wings. With diverse flavors like gyros, gourmet hot dogs, fresh salads, homemade dressings, craft beers and the meatiest, tastiest wings on the planet, we've got something to satisfy every...
Buffalo Wings & Rings franchise: quick answers
- How much does a Buffalo Wings & Rings franchise cost?
- $1,110,200 – $1,561,600 all-in to open, per Buffalo Wings & Rings's franchise disclosure filings (data as of 2026-05).
- How many Buffalo Wings & Rings units are there?
- 53 units at the end of 2017 (FDD Item 20-style unit history).
- How have Buffalo Wings & Rings's units held up?
- 90.5% of units at risk between 2015 and 2017 did not close, per our metric recomputed from FDD Item 20-style unit history (methodology published on our verification page).