Wings & Rings restaurant chain seeking expansion in Canton-Akron area.
Restaurant chain Buffalo Wings & Rings is looking to expand into Northeast Ohio.
Founded in 1984 in Cincinnati, the sports-themed company serves traditional and boneless Buffalo wings, fresh hamburgers, salads, wraps, and thick-cut, crumb-breaded onion rings.
Wings & Rings has more than 80 locations, including Ohio sites in Columbus, Fairfield, Lima, Monroe, Piqua and Grove City, as well as three in the Cincinnati area.
“We want to make sure we’re continuing to grow in a way that’s very strategic,” said Dan Doulen, director of franchising and real estate.
“We are looking at Cleveland and Akron and Canton as another kind of that next big market we can go into,” he said. “We feel Canton, with the (Pro Football Hall of Fame), … (is) a great sports town and it definitely meets the demographics we’re looking for and population.”
The company is searching for people interested in opening franchises.
“We feel that area, Canton and just a little bit outside of Canton, can hold two to three locations for sure,” Doulen added.
‘Turning some heads’
According to the Wings & Rings website, the minimum investment for someone opening a franchise is $1.11 million based on leased space of 5,000 square feet. Minimum net worth requirements are $1.25 million, according to the website.
“We’ve got an incentive program this year that’s really turning some heads,” Doulen said. “It’s zero franchise fees and six months with no royalties (5% of sales). We did that to reduce the initial investment for the franchisee.”
Potential franchise operators can apply at https://www.buffalowingsandrings.com/.
Wings and Rings specialize in restaurants with scores of televisions and the menu includes chef-created recipes and what the company describes as an “elevated menu not found at typical sports bars.”
Menu selections include sandwiches, Korean shrimp, cauliflower wings and parmesan garlic aioli fries.
Surviving the pandemic
In 1994, the chain expanded outside the Cincinnati area and opened restaurants in multiple states.
In 2005, Philip Schram, Nader Masadeh and Haytham David purchased Buffalo Wings & Rings. Restaurants are now in Kentucky, California, Texas, Indiana, Florida, North Carolina, Nebraska, North Dakota, Illinois and South Dakota.
No restaurants have closed permanently during the pandemic, Doulen said. “We worked with our franchisees,” he said.
“Valet pickup” for carryout orders had been in the works prior to the pandemic and it’s been highly popular with customers, Doulen said.
If prospective franchisees step forward, “I would think in two to three years we would have some activity in Canton,” he said.
Reach Ed at 330-580-8315 and [email protected]
On Twitter @ebalintREP
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