19 minute read
Chairman’s Column
From the Chair
In the annals of sports lore, there are those moments that live in infamy – for all the wrong reasons. Jim Marshall taking the ball 66 yards – the wrong way – in the Vikings 1964 meeting with San Francisco. Roberto De Vicenzo signing an incorrect scorecard to finish one shot behind Bob Goalby at the 1968 Masters. How about the Oakland Raiders’ series of forward fumbles in the 1978 matchup with San Diego? Sometimes it’s not even the players who make history. Take, for instance, Stanford’s band storming the field in the 1982 game against Cal. The blunder allowed Cal the game-winning touchdown.
But we often forget what happened after these infamous moments. Marshall would go on to force a fumble with a sack, with his teammate scooping up the ball and scoring the winning Vikings touchdown. De Vicenzo won more than 230 golf tournaments, including the inaugural U.S. Senior Open in 1980 at the age of 57. “The Holy Roller,” as Oakland’s fumble series was dubbed, ended with the game-winning touchdown and led the NFL to amend the rules to prevent such plays in the future. As for Stanford, well, that was two-time Super Bowl champion quarterback and MVP John Elway’s last game with the Cardinal.
As we head into the last quarter of 2020, the year has felt a lot like watching a highlight reel of those moments that leave you asking, “Did that just happen?” While we will never forget the challenges this year has presented the world and our businesses, it is important that we remember the leadership, perseverance and innovation our teams demonstrated.
When our focus shifted to best practices in delivery, carryout and new on-premise standards in the spring, B-Dubs® franchisees learned on the fly. Some literally. Franchise organization Potters Wings’ headline-grabbing partnership with Deuce Drone took a creative approach to adapting for contactless delivery. The possibility of using drones is a solution that, going forward, puts BWW® ahead of the industry in meeting guests’ demands for timeliness, quality and safety. And, let’s face it, it’s just cool.
As we navigate reopening dining rooms, B-Dubs teams are improving efficiencies, streamlining processes, and going above and beyond to keep staff and guests alike safe and healthy, and across the country, Buffalo Wild Wings® is stepping up support in the communities where we live and work, whether it’s feeding front-line workers on the East Coast or firefighters in the West.
Despite having to delay the FBS Summit to 2021, the association has been hard at work for you behind the scenes since March. Members had access to elected officials and important information on legislation and employment law through our participation with the Coalition of Franchisee Associations in the months following coronavirus-induced closures. Even more crucial, however, is the work undertaken by FBS and Trinity Capital on a systemwide financial analysis. Our ability to understand the fiscal health of the BWW franchise system will be paramount to the future of the brand and our businesses.
While 2020 may feel like one crazy play after another, when the dust settles there will be achievements to look back on. Our businesses will have adapted to delivery and carryout at a pace we never thought possible. Our teams will have persevered, growing in their ability to be creative and develop best practices that help their fellow B-Dubs team members as well as the guest. And our association will have helped us understand the impact COVID-19 had on our businesses and our overall position as a brand.
Here’s to looking ahead, past the surreality of 2020, and remembering the wins, not the challenges.
Wray Hutchinson
Wingin’ It LLC Celebrates Local Athletes’ Achievements With Drive-Thru Awards Ceremony
The Buffalo Wild Wings® in Florence, Alabama, operated by Wingin’ It LLC, has continued to support its local athletes despite the 2020 sports seasons being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The restaurant has been working with its local Fox Sports radio station for the past eight years to honor the “Players of the Game” and “Players of the Year” during the high school football and basketball seasons.
At the end of the year, the restaurant typically hosts an award ceremony for the players, parents and coaches to celebrate. The restaurant team would present awards to the “BWW Player of the Year” and “BWW Coach of the Year.” Fox Sports usually would set up a remote broadcast during the ceremony and interview the winning players and coaches on the air.
As the 2019-2020 basketball season wrapped up in the spring, the restaurant was unable to hold a traditional ceremony like years past. However, the team improvised and made sure the athletes were still celebrated. special relationship with its hometown school, Ferris State University (FSU) in west central Michigan.
The restaurant has a large partnership with the university and has provided financial support to the athletics department over the years. In turn, the restaurant advertises during FSU basketball and football games and uses other marketing strategies at the university. The sports bar also provides food to the school’s athletics coaches and streams the university’s games throughout the football and basketball seasons for fans to watch.
“The best thing that has come from this is the relationship it has brought us,” said Jon Grayeb, director of marketing at JK&T Wings. “The coaches know our general manager personally, and it causes them to reach out to him if they need anything. This has brought the college, even though it is a half mile away, right
“We didn’t want to take away anything from these incredible players and still wanted to celebrate them,” said Leslie Nabors, marketing manager. BWW instead hosted the “BWW and Fox Sports Player of the Game Drive-Thru” on July 23. The BWW in Florence, Alabama, celebrated local athletes with a drive-thru awards ceremony.
was set up in the front made available for the community. of the restaurant with tents and balloons. Florence High School student Dee The restaurant happens to be on a busy Beckwith won the boy’s BWW and Fox road, and the decorations created a lot Sports Player of the Year and Muscle of buzz as Florence residents passed by. Shoals High School student Sara Puckett Players came by and picked up their won for the girls. Both players plan on plaques, trophies and even some coupons continuing their basketball careers at the for a free meal at BWW. University of Tennessee.
Fox Sports Shoals radio hosts Jordan Wingin’ It LLC is happy to continue Campbell and Chuck Hammer still to show its support for these athletes. As conducted interviews with the Players the football season ramps up, the team is of the Week and Year via Zoom. These hoping it can celebrate the players this fall interviews were compiled together and in person. S
JK&T Wings Builds Partnership With Ferris State University
The Buffalo Wild Wings® in Big Rapids, Michigan, has developed a
The drive-thru
Participants in the Alumni and Friends 2020 Golf Outing show off their awards at the luncheon.
into our back yard.”
BWW® recently hosted a luncheon after the FSU Men’s Basketball Alumni and Friends Golf Outing in July as the latest event in this unique partnership, the sixth year it has participated. The golf tournament is a key factor in the success the men’s basketball team has had, including six straight 20-win seasons and an NCAA Division II national championship in 2018.
Even with 100 people at the luncheon, attendance was down this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Golfers were offered boneless wings, fries, and chips and salsa. The event was moved outside to keep guests socially distanced, and staff wore masks and gloves and sanitized the area frequently to prevent any spread of the coronavirus.
“Our relationship with FSU athletics has brought a store in a small town to the next level,” Grayeb said. “We have been involved with them since we decided to plant our roots in Big Rapids. We have built our relationship on trust and them knowing we are here to help. As a result, it has grown our exposure within the community. It is nice to stream an event and see our logo on the field, in the rink or on the court. It shows that we support them, and it’s also a moment of pride as you are watching the game.” S
Two Joes Inc. Creates Together Today
Initiative to Show Support for Community
The Two Joes Inc. team, owned by franchisees Joe Frederick Sr. and Joe Frederick Jr., wanted to show its guests gratitude for their support during the COVID-19 closures. The Two Joes’ BWW® restaurants in Minnesota were thankful to those who showed support by ordering takeout and wanted to let furloughed team members know they were thinking about them.
The team decided to create a social media campaign using the hashtag #TogetherToday. “The idea spurred from a video montage that Buffalo Wild Wings® corporate put together with team members from locations across the country,” said Jen Epper, business and marketing manager for Two Joes. “We knew our own photo montage with our team members would be well received by Staff members from Two Joes Inc. restaurants in Minnesota made signs to show support for the local fans who consider the Mankato their fellow team members and or Hutchinson locations ‘their’ B-Dubs®.” to let their guests know they
Throughout the campaign, team missed them during their dining members from both BWW locations were room closures. asked to make signs with encouraging messages for medical professionals, sense of hope that we would all be together of salads and wraps to the Mankato B-Dubs fans and their fellow team again very soon,” said Epper. Clinic and Hutchinson Health Systems. members, and post them with the hashtag. In addition to spreading happiness Members of the medical staffs at these Collages and slideshows of the photos were through social media, the teams at each facilities frequently place large takeout posted on the Two Joes social media pages, BWW location also made tangible orders, so the restaurants knew that this providing optimism for both fans and contributions to their local health care was a good way to support them during team members. “I feel like it gave them a heroes. They brought party platters this challenging time. S
Buffalo Wild Wings in Newark, Delaware, Wins Best Wings Award
High 5 Hospitality’s (H5H) University of Delaware and Buffalo Wild Wings® in in Newark. When voting Newark, Delaware, was recently opens each year, the team awarded the “Best Wings” award encourages local guests to by the local newspaper, The vote for their favorite wings Newark Post. Each year, The at BWW®. Post conducts a poll in print and Ewald also noted that online and asks readers to vote the restaurant was recently on multiple categories. updated and refreshed,
H5H is honored to have which the team is proud won the 2020 “Best Wings” award. The company also took High 5 Hospitality’s BWW in Newark was recognized for its wings by the local newspaper for the fourth time. of. “They take great care in making sure they provide the award in 2015, 2016 and the best wings in Newark. 2019. “It is a huge honor to be We appreciate that the recognized by the community of dining experience for our guests is the local community recogNewark,” said Lori Ewald, marketing best it can be.” nizes us and allows us to be honored manager for H5H. “The Newark team The restaurant has great relation- for what we pride ourselves on – the works extremely hard to make sure the ships with the students at the nearby best wings.” S
MEMBER NEWS
High 5 Hospitality Provides Guidance to Local Restaurants During Webinar
High 5 Hospitality added some levity to social distancing in its restaurants with humorous signs.
Throughout 2020, business owners across the nation have had to make tough decisions to adapt to the pandemic. In Delaware, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) hosted a webinar with local business owners to provide guidance on adapting successfully to COVID-19. High 5 Hospitality (H5H), which operates eight BWW® locations and several other restaurant concepts, was selected by the SBDC to be featured and give advice to others in a similar situation.
CEO Bobby Pancake and Marketing Manager Lori Ewald were both panelists on the Zoom webinar. After meeting to discuss what items each would present, then meeting with the organizers from SBDC and the Delaware Business Times, the duo was ready for the July 16 event.
Pancake discussed how his team’s “wake-up call” in April 2019, when a Hepatitis A case struck one of the restaurants, helped it prepare for the current pandemic and allowed it to react and respond effectively. “When COVID-19 hit, we needed to go to our playbook and look back to see where we had gone before,” he said. “History tells you a lot of things.” The team learned to implement a “Be the buffalo” strategy, inspired by how herds of buffalo face a storm head on and walk directly through it, allowing them to pass through quicker.
Pancake also advised choosing team members carefully during this time. After having to furlough 71% of H5H team members, he had to select employees who work hard, move swiftly and stay flexible.
During her segment, Ewald placed emphasis on staying connected to guests, whether through social media or other avenues. Ewald noted that the H5H team communicated to guests exactly what safety measures its restaurants were taking to give guests peace of mind. She also discussed the company’s shift
Bobby Pancake discussed his team’s “Be the buffalo” strategy on the July 16 webinar.
from being involved in community-based marketing to strictly digital, menu modification tactics and partner relationships.
Pancake and Ewald both recommend that other franchisees get involved with their own community partners, such as the SBDC, chambers of commerce, visitors bureaus or similar organizations. Especially during tough times, support from these groups is critical. “They have reached out to us with unique opportunities; provided updates to our hours, menus and features on their social media; and included us in email blasts to their followers,” explained Ewald.
The webinar had 80 registrants, and even more viewers accessed it on demand after the event. “We definitely felt honored to be selected for this webinar,” said Ewald. “There are many businesses doing a lot of right things out there and to be recognized as one of them feels great.” S
MEMBER NEWS
Four M Stays Connected With Community Partners Despite Difficult Times
Four M teams have delivered meals to various community organizations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Four M Franchising, owned by franchisee James Bitzonis, has remained connected with its local communities. Located in New York and Connecticut, many Four M Buffalo Wild Wings® restaurants donated meals to deserving community members.
Team members have continued to grow their relationships with staff at local hospitals who have been working to contain the pandemic and protect their communities. Staff members at Yale Hospital in North Haven, Connecticut, are longtime loyal guests at the North Haven BWW®. The restaurant recently added a special surprise of extra food onto the staff’s order to show a token of appreciation. Team Riverdale had the pleasure of providing lunch to 20 local doctors and nurses. Site Manager Rene and her team were very appreciative of the donation.
Four M teams have also been delivering wings to their local fire and police departments. College Point, New York, BWW staff members visited local firefighters, who are regular guests, at Station 163 in Queens. The firefighters were thrilled to enjoy their favorite wings. In Forest Hills, New York, BWW staff had the pleasure of delivering 100 wings and buffalo chips to Police Precinct 112. Officers Strebel, Matamoros and the rest of the crew were excited to receive the food.
Employees from the restaurants in Forest Hills and Stamford, Connecticut, had similar conversations with local police officers that came in for lunch.
They discovered that officers throughout the entire force loved BWW and have been loyal guests, coming in every Tuesday. As a surprise, the team stopped by the respective stations and donated boneless wings and sodas to the officers on duty. They also visited firefighters and delivered some of their favorite wing flavors – honey BBQ and mild.
Likewise, teams in White Plains, New York, and Danbury, Connecticut, donated to their local fire departments. “The firefighters have been busy keeping our city safe, and we showed our support by donating boneless wings, chips and salsa and some fries,” said a White Plains team member. “The gentlemen just came off training, so they were hungry and appreciative of our donation!”
Team Forest Hills provided a Labor Day treat to Fire Station Engine 305, delivering 100 wings, potato wedges and a large order of the new Asian Zing cauliflower wings to the firefighters.
In addition to showing support for first responders and front-line workers, some restaurants have also been donating to local community organizations. The team at New Rochelle, New York, has strengthened its partnership and bond with the United Community Center of Westchester. The team has visited the center several times and helped create food packages to be distributed to families in need. The families were extremely grateful for the support.
Team Hicksville organized a similar event for families at its local Boys & Girls Club. The team set up two appetizers of chips, salsa and queso and mozzarella sticks. When the families came in, they chose which sauce they would like in their wing bundle. The team was excited to put smiles on faces in such tough times.
For Community Heroes Appreciation Day, Team Hicksville chose to thank volunteers of Habitat for Humanity, which has a mission to bring people together to build homes, communities and hope. BWW delivered 40 meals to volunteers who were beaming with smiles and gratitude. The Hicksville team also thanked the crew at Long Island Select Healthcare, which works with children and adults with developmental disabilities and people who are recovering from strokes or accidents, with 80 boxed meals.
The Danbury BWW team has been collecting donations for the Dorothy Day Hospitality House for several weeks. The Dorothy Day House has been dedicated to feeding and sheltering the homeless since 1982. The team donated several in-demand items, including bananas and bottled water. The volunteers working during the donation had nothing but gratitude for the BWW team.
Four M is proud to have teams that show constant support for their communities. S
Lamont Harris has joined the World Wide Wings team as district manager of Indiana District 10. Harris has been in the hospitality industry for over 34 years, with his most recent experience with QDOBA Mexican Eats. He also worked for O’Charley’s as an operations director and Applebee’s as a district manager. Lynisha Sadler has accepted the position of assistant general manager at the Montclair, California, restaurant. Sadler has been a member of the World Wide Wings family since 2015, when she started as a department manager in Mira Loma, California. Rick Putnam recently started as the general manager of the BWW® in Quincy, Illinois. Putnam has been in the food business for over 30 years and was the original general manager that opened the Quincy B-Dubs® many years ago! Most recently, he worked as the general manager of Applebee’s in Quincy. Leah Collins is now the district manager for Indiana. She recently celebrated her 13th anniversary with the brand and has worked in several positions over the years, including bartender, server, general manager and more. Andrew Pedersen is now working as the general manager of the B-Dubs in Burlington, Iowa. After serving in the military, he established a career in the food and beverage industry with brands like Hilton Hotels, Red Robin and Delta by Marriott. Sean O’Donnell has been promoted to general manager at the BWW in Macomb, Illinois. He began working as a team member in 2011 and has worked his way up at the Macomb restaurant. Jerod Eakle has been promoted from department manager to assistant general manager for the downtown Indianapolis sports bar. After working with brands like Pizza Hut and Jimmy John’s, Eakle began his career with BWW 2 1/2 years ago. Jeff Chervany is the new general manager of the Union Gap, Washington, restaurant. He has been in the restaurant business for over 20 years, managing restaurants like Applebee’s, Red Robin, Starbucks and McDonald’s. Laila Syed has been promoted to general manager for the Lafayette, Indiana, B-Dubs. She started in the food business working for her family’s restaurant and has worked in various types of restaurants, even opening two bars of her own. She recently celebrated her first anniversary with the company. Chris Moriarty was promoted to general manager at the BWW in Champaign, Illinois. Chris has been in the food industry for over 14 years, previously working for Pizza Hut and Red Lobster. Briana Stager has been promoted from assistant general manager to general manager for the Cascade Station BWW in Portland, Oregon. Stager also recently celebrated her fifth anniversary with World Wide Wings. Previously, she worked for BURGER KING in several manager and training roles.
We want to highlight your company’s achievements (employee promotions, new hires, employee or restaurant anniversaries, and sales records). To submit information for Recognitions, complete the online submission form at www.myfbsonline.org/submissions, email communications@myfbsonline.org or call 678-797-5161. Congratulations to the following High 5 Hospitality employees …
Patrick Zediker is celebrating his five-year anniversary as a manager at the Buffalo Wild Wings® in Middletown, Delaware. Nichole Shrieves, server at the restaurant in Salisbury, Maryland, is celebrating her five-year anniversary with High 5 Hospitality. Robert Ramey is a server at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Middletown, Delaware. He has been with the company for five years. Corey Johns is celebrating his five-year anniversary as a host and cashier at the Christiana, Delaware, restaurant. Caitlin Conner has been a server at the Belair, Maryland, restaurant for five years. Patrick Bonk is celebrating five years as a server at the Christiana, Delaware, B-Dubs.
Mark Szabo is celebrating his 16th anniversary with Franklin’s Management. After working as the general manager at the Strongsville, Ohio, restaurant, he helped open the Warrensville Heights BWW in 2012. Currently, he alternates between the three Franklin’s Management locations. Ken Henwood, the assistant manager at the BWW in Strongsville, Ohio, is celebrating his 12-year anniversary with Franklin’s Management. He has worked as an assistant manager at all three locations over the years.
