Wing Zone vs Buffalo's Southwest Cafe Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Wing Zone vs Buffalo's Southwest Cafe including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Wing Zone Franchise
Buffalo's Southwest Cafe Franchise
Investment $342,800 - $566,000$491,500 - $1,464,000
Franchise Fee $30,000 - $40,000$50,000
Royalty Fee 5%6%
Advertising Fee 2%2%
Year Founded 19911985
Year Franchised 19991989
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Renewal Fee $10K-


Business Experience Requirements
 
Wing Zone Franchise
Buffalo's Southwest Cafe Franchise
Experience
  • Industry experience
  • General business experience
  • Marketing skills
    • Buffalo's requires a minimum net worth of $1,500,000 (excluding automobiles, furnishings and personal residences), with a minimum of $500,000 in liquid assets. Liquid assets are defined as those which can be converted to cash within thirty (30 days).
    • The cost of establishing a Buffalo's restaurant will vary according to the size of the facility, relative land issues and the extent of necessary leasehold improvements. Twenty-five percent of the total cost must be funded from personal resources. The remainder may be funded through traditional financial institutions or our approved lending sources.

    Financing Options
     
    Wing Zone Franchise
    Buffalo's Southwest Cafe Franchise
      In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
    Franchise Fees No/Yes-/-
    Start-up Costs No/Yes-/-
    Equipment No/Yes-/-
    Inventory No/Yes-/-
    Receivables No/Yes-/-
    Payroll No/Yes-/-

    Training & Support
     
    Wing Zone Franchise
    Buffalo's Southwest Cafe Franchise
    Training Wing Zone University, our training program consists of three (3) weeks of classroom and on-site training Our program consists of everything you need to know to open and successfully operate a Wing Zone, including: Recipes and Food-Prep Procedures Quality and Service Standards Guest Promise Inventory Procedures Food Safety Best Hiring Practices Local Store Marketing Digital and Social Media Online Review Management (Yelp, Google, Facebook) Grand Opening Plan Proper training is absolutely essential for maintaining the consistency and integrity of the Buffalo's operation. To that end, we set rigorous standards for staff development. Franchisees will receive a detailed and comprehensive curriculum on operating their Buffalo's business. Every franchisee receives a set of Buffalo's manuals containing the entire training program. These can be kept on hand for reference to direct their daily operations. They provide quick and convenient information -- answering franchisee's questions regarding all operating procedures. Before a Franchisee can open their first Buffalo’s Cafe restaurant, the proposed primary operators of the restaurant will attend the Buffalo’s Cafe training course for 4-6 weeks. A Principal Owner will also participate in a 2 week Executive Training program. The franchisee is responsible for all costs incurred including travel and lodging of the management team
    Support Newsletter, Meetings, Toll-free phone line, Grand opening, Internet, Security/safety procedures, Field operations/evaluations, Purchasing cooperatives From the moment, you sign the Franchise Agreement to the day you open and beyond we’ll help and guide you with site selection, lease negotiations, finding and hiring the right contractor, store design and construction as well the training on how to open, hire the right people and operate your Wing Zone.When a franchisee joins the Buffalo's Cafe family they benefit from the experience of a professional management team and a well-thought-out plan to help get their store(s) up and running quickly. When a franchisee joins the Buffalo's Cafe family, they receive support from an organization committed to success.
    Marketing Ad slicks, National media, Regional advertisingFollowing the development of a new site, the Buffalo's Cafe New Store Opening Guide and marketing department will assist a franchisee in planning their store opening. Franchisee's can rest assured that the Buffalo's team will be there to make sure the opening is a successful one. A handy Local Store Marketing Guide full of great promotional ideas and instructions for building store traffic is also available to franchisees.
    Operations 20% of all franchisees own more than one unit

    Number of employees needed to run franchised unit: 12

    Absentee ownership of franchise is NOT allowed.

    		Each franchisee is assigned a Buffalo's Cafe Franchise Consultant. The Buffalo's Cafe Franchise Consultants are available at all times to support franchisees, assure consistency of the Buffalo's Cafe brand and to assist franchisees in all areas of operations including financial analysis, marketing promotions and vendor selection.

    Expansion Plans
     
    Wing Zone Franchise
    Buffalo's Southwest Cafe Franchise
    US Expansion Yes-
    Canada Expansion No-
    International Expansion No-

    Company Overviews

    About Wing Zone

    Join Wing Zone!
    Here's your opportunity to join WingZone, one of the nation's fastest-growing takeout/delivery chains. The Wing Zone concept was launched in 1991 in the most unlikely setting, a fraternity house kitchen. Despite Wing Zone's humble birth, the core idea targeted a pressing need in the marketplace: to serve high-quality, cooked to order food, available for takeout, delivery and dine-in. Today, this simple idea has become one of the hottest franchise opportunities around, having grown to nearly 100 restaurants.
     Matt Friedman and Adam Scott conceived Wing Zone while at the University of Florida due to a dilemma they faced - there was no alternative to pizza delivery for students studying late or suffering from the late night hunger. To fill this void, Matt and Adam developed the Wing Zone concept and quickly expanded it into a great business opportunity. The Wing Zone menu has grown over the years beyond just buffalo wings. It now includes chicken fingers, buffalo shrimp, half-pound burgers, chicken sandwiches and fresh salads. A key ingredient to Wing Zone's success is unchanged - its 25 signature sauces. While Wing Zone is proud of its past, the company is focused on the future. Wing Zone is currently seeking franchise partners to help make Wing Zone the leading franchise opportunity with single, multi-unit, and area development opportunities available in many areas across the nation.

    About Buffalo's Southwest Cafe

    Our first restaurant opened its doors in 1985 in Roswell, Georgia. Since then, we’ve grown to over 25 Buffalo’s Cafe restaurants around the world (with plenty more coming soon to a city near you). Revered by our fans for our world-famous buffalo-style chicken wings and sauces - Buffalo’s Cafe is committed to serving the highest quality, fresh never frozen, buffalo-style chicken wings and sauces in a family-friendly environment with an exceptional guest experience. Most importantly, all you really need to know "About Us” are these two things: Wings and Family. Why are these so important to us? Because that’s what our fans want and that’s what we care about - making our fans happy.
    For qualified individuals, Buffalo's Southwest Cafe can be a great opportunity for single or multi-unit operators.