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Buffalo Wild Wings continues to elevate its bar-food gameBuffalo Wild Wings continues to elevate its bar-food game

Casual-dining brand will soon add Nashville hot chicken and tenders to the menu

Joanna Fantozzi, Senior Editor

June 28, 2019

4 Min Read
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Buffalo Wild Wings Inc. is following its tech-forward restaurant redesign of late last year with a menu revamp that it hopes will appeal to younger diners.

The Minneapolis, Minn.-based casual-dining chain will introduce beer-battered chicken tenders and Nashville hot chicken to the menu in August and new boneless wings and a remixed Buffalo sauce recipe in November.  

 “There are a lot of more wings players now so it’s a little harder to get your share of the stomach,” said Jamie Carawan, Buffalo Wild Wings’ executive chef. “I think in order for us to prosper, we’re going to need to be able to bring people in for non-sporting events. Wings will always be the center of our universe, but we need to augment our product mix.”

The first wave of new Buffalo Wild Wings menu items, introduced in March, included the double cheeseburger topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, mayonnaise and mustard (with a suggested price of $10.99), double-layered nachos topped with chile con queso ($9.29), homemade chips and salsa (SRP $4.49) and hatch queso (SRP $6.49). Unlike the brand’s previous burger iteration, this new menu item is a smash-style burger made with fresh instead of frozen ground beef.

BWW_Hand_Breaded_Sandwiches.jpgLater this summer, Buffalo Wild Wings will be rolling out the next batch of new menu items, including the Nashville hot chicken sandwich, topped with Nashville hot sauce, slaw, chile peppers, ranch dressing and pickles (at a suggested price of $10.99) and a milder Southern chicken sandwich, which Carawan likened to “a version of a chicken cordon bleu sandwich,” topped with Swiss cheese, bacon aioli, Napa slaw, and pickles, along with classic chicken tenders with a choice of several sauces (SRP, three for $9.29). Both sandwiches are breaded and use a Lagunitas IPA beer batter.

Related:Beyond Buffalo wings: Chefs try new chicken wing flavors

“We had this revelation that to be the best-in-class bar food means something we can be proud of, and that means hand-breaded chicken,” Carawan said. “[With the sandwiches] we want to improve our lunch business and give people another reason to come in.”

Much of the menu revamp was designed to bring in younger clientele. Right now, the main Buffalo Wild Wings demographic is a younger Generation X consumer. But the revamp of the cocktail menu, which began in March, has been designed for Millennial drinkers. Buffalo Wild Wings said they appear to prefer mixologist-inspired beverages.   

Jack_Sour_and_Jameson_Stout_Shot.jpgCarawan said he and his team started by simplifying their drinks menu. They got rid of at least a dozen of the fruitier, sweeter cocktails and replaced them with brown spirits-forward drinks like the Bulleit Rye Old-Fashioned (which came out in March) and the Jack Sour (which is coming out in November). They will also be introducing rotating craft beers like Dogfish Head Slightly Mighty IPA (available December through February 2020) and the Stone Pomma Said Knock You Out IPA (available through the end of this summer).

Related:Buffalo Wild Wings to craft beer fans: You can ‘geek out’ at our bars

BWW_Beer.jpg“We want you to be able to come in and sip on a beautiful bourbon on the rocks,” Carawan said.  “I want our customers to say they learned how to drink bourbon at Buffalo Wild Wings.”

Later in the fall, Buffalo Wild Wings will roll out revamped boneless wings “with less breading and more chicken” and a reimagined Buffalo wing sauce that Carawan likened to a “back to basics” approach that’s simpler, less buttery and closer to that original “vinegary, spicy” taste of a classic Buffalo wing sauce. The result is a tangier, punchier sauce that’s less creamy than its predecessor, he said.   

After the final November rollout, the culinary team at Buffalo Wild Wings will continue to assess how they can continue to evolve the brand’s culinary offerings. With their ambition to expand dayparts and broaden the brand’s appeal to non-sports fans, Carawan isn’t ruling anything out, including the possibility of brunch in the future.

BWW_Hand_Breaded_Tenders.jpg“Everything is on the table at this point,” he said. “We think there’s a dearth in quality of good sports bar food. People love their local spots, but it’s usually for the nostalgia and not for the food quality. I want people to think of us when they are in the mood for great bar food.”

Buffalo Wild Wings has about 1,250 locations nationwide. The brand was acquired by Atlanta-based Inspire Brands Inc. in February 2018.

All photos courtesy of Buffalo Wild Wings.

Contact Joanna Fantozzi at [email protected] 

Follow her on Twitter: @JoannaFantozzi 

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About the Author

Joanna Fantozzi

Senior Editor

Joanna Fantozzi is a Senior Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. She has more than seven years of experience writing about the restaurant and hospitality industry. Her editorial coverage ranges from profiles of independent restaurants around the country to breaking news and insights into some of the biggest brands in food and beverage, including Starbucks, Domino’s, and Papa John’s.  

Joanna holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and creative writing from The College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in arts and culture journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Prior to joining Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group in 2018, she was a freelance food, culture, and lifestyle writer, and has previously held editorial positions at Insider (formerly known as Business Insider) and The Daily Meal. Joanna’s work can also be found in The New York Times, Forbes, Vice, The New York Daily News, and Parents Magazine. 

Her areas of expertise include restaurant industry news, restaurant operator solutions and innovations, and political/cultural issues.

Joanna Fantozzi has been a moderator and event facilitator at both Informa’s MUFSO and Restaurants Rise industry events. 

Joanna Fantozzi’s experience:

Senior Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (August 2021-present)

Associate Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (July 2019-August 2021)

Assistant Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (Oct. 2018-July 2019)

Freelance Food & Lifestyle Reporter (Feb. 2018-Oct. 2018)

Food & Lifestyle Reporter, Insider (June 2017-Feb. 2018)

News Editor, The Daily Meal (Jan. 2014- June 2017)

Staff Reporter, Straus News (Jan. 2013-Dec. 2013)

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