McDonald's vs Buffalo Wild Wings Franchise Comparison
Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of McDonald's vs Buffalo Wild Wings including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.
Start-Up Costs and Fees |
Investment |
$1,314,500 - $2,306,500 | $2,695,100 - $4,244,300 |
Franchise Fee |
$45,000 | $25,000 |
Royalty Fee |
4% | 5% |
Advertising Fee |
4%+ | 3.25% |
Year Founded |
1955 | 1982 |
Year Franchised |
1955 | 1991 |
Term Of Agreement |
20 years | 10 years |
Term Of Agreement |
20 years | 10 years |
Renewal Fee |
$45K | $5K |
Business Experience Requirements |
Experience |
Industry experience General business experience Marketing skills | General business experience Track record of success |
Financing Options |
|
In-House/3rd Party | In-House/3rd Party |
Franchise Fees |
No/No | No/No |
Start-up Costs |
No/No | No/No |
Equipment |
No/Yes | No/No |
Inventory |
No/No | No/No |
Receivables |
No/No | No/No |
Payroll |
No/No | No/No |
Training & Support |
Training |
On-The-Job Training: 500 hours
Classroom Training: 72 hours
Additional Training: At local McDonald's restaurant
| - |
Support |
Purchasing Co-ops
Newsletter
Meetings/Conventions
Toll-Free Line
Grand Opening
Online Support
Security/Safety Procedures
Field Operations
Site Selection
Proprietary Software
| Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives |
Marketing |
Co-op Advertising
Ad Templates
National Media
Regional Advertising
Social media
SEO
Website development
Email marketing
Loyalty program/app
| Co-op advertising, Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertising |
Operations |
82% of all franchisees own more than one unit
Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (100% of current franchisees are owner/operators) |
Franchisees required to buy multiple units/master licenses; 50% of all franchisees own more than one unit Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 40
- 60
Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed. (80% of current franchisees are owner/operators) |
Expansion Plans |
US Expansion |
Yes | Yes |
Canada Expansion |
No | No |
International Expansion |
Yes | Yes |
Company Overviews
About McDonald's
Ray Kroc, a milkshake mixer salesman, ventured to California in
1954 to visit McDonald's hamburger stand, where he heard they were
running eight mixers at once. Kroc was impressed by how rapidly
customers were served and, seeing an opportunity to sell many more
milkshake machines, encouraged brothers Dick and Mac McDonald to open a
chain of their restaurants. Kroc became their business partner and
opened the first McDonald's in Des Plaines, Illinois in 1955.
McDonald's brand is in 122 countries around the world. Thirty thousand locations serve 51 million customers each day. More than 70 percent of McDonald's restaurants around the world are owned and operated by independent local business people.
Most standalone McDonald's restaurants offer both counter and drive-through service, with indoor and sometimes outdoor seating. The Drive-Thru, Auto-Mac, or McDrive as it is known in many countries, often has separate stations for placing, paying for, and picking up orders, though the former two steps are frequently combined. In some countries "McDrive" locations near highways offer no counter service or seating. In contrast, locations in high-density city neighborhoods often omit drive-through service.
#7 on Franchise Rankings.com
#3 in Canada's top franchises.
#3 in Franchise 500 for 2020
#11 in Franchise 500 for 2021
About Buffalo Wild Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings got its start in 1981 after Jim Disbrow and Scott Lowery moved from Buffalo, New York, to Kent, Ohio. Unable to find authentic Buffalo-style chicken wings in their new town, they decided to open up their own restaurant. Originally called Buffalo Wild Wings & Weck (see Kummelweck) from which the abbreviation BW3 was created, the restaurant became a franchise with over 350 locations across most states of the U.S. The company later changed its name to Buffalo Wild Wings and is no longer uses the short name BW3.
The restaurant's theme is a sports bar / restaurant, and each location features multiple large screen televisions that are viewable from all seats. All locations also have game consoles devoted to NTN Trivia.
Buffalo Wild Wings is best-known for its buffalo wings with 12 signature sauces. They also have a full menu featuring salads, appetizers, burgers, and specialty items.
United States Franchising
We require that our U.S. franchise candidates have a minimum of USD
750,000 in liquid assets and a net worth of USD 1.5 million.
Additionally, there is a minimum commitment to develop at least 2
restaurants.International Franchising
We require that our international franchise candidates have a minimum
of USD 5 million in liquid assets and net worth of USD 10 million.
Additionally, there is a minimum commitment to develop at least 10
restaurants.
The total investment necessary to begin operation of a Buffalo Wild
Wings Sports Bar franchise ranges from $2,695,100 to $4,244,300. This
includes $10,000 to $55,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or an
affiliate.
If you sign an Area Development Agreement to develop multiple
Buffalo Wild Wings Sports Bars, the total investment necessary to begin
operation under the Area Development Agreement is $10,000 to $300,000.
This includes $10,000 to $30,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or
affiliate.
#159 in Franchise 500 for 2020.