Buffalo Wild Wings and Wingstop are wing specialists founded in the United States of America, in 1982 and 1994, respectively. These chains have often been considered rivals and have competed fiercely from time to time. But what makes these food chains so unique?
The two food chains have been competing for years, each having its own unique style. Buffalo Wild Wings has often been known to have a great atmosphere compared to Wingstop, but Wingstop has a vast range of wing flavours, deals, and cheaper prices, which attract a larger number of people.
This was a brief comparison between Buffalo Wild Wings and Wingstop. For a more detailed analysis, keep reading this article. We have just the right amount of insight for you.
What Is the History Behind Wild Buffalo Wings?
Buffalo Wild Wings, also known as B-Dubs, is a casual dining restaurant in the United States of America and was founded by Jim Disbrow in 1982.
They have restaurants in all 50 states of the United States of America, including DC. There are approximately 1,279 restaurants owned by Buffalo Wild Wings in total.
What Is The History Behind Wingstop Wings?
Wingstop Wings is a fast food restaurant that specializes in chicken wings. Wingstop was founded in 1994 as a multinational chain originating in the United States of America.
The multinational chain has its headquarters in Texas. Wingstop has over 1400 locations, of which 21 are outside the United States of America and other countries. Continue reading!
Who Has “Diverse Flavours”, Wingstop Or Buffalo Wild Wings?
Wingstop has a vast range of sauces and dry rubs to offer its customers. They have very unique flavours and sauces at different spice levels, so you can find just the right sauce for you at Wingstop.
Their top 10 sauces and rubs are Louisiana Rub, Lemon Pepper, Cajun, Spicy Korean Q, Mango Habanero, Hawaiian, Original Hot, Garlic Parmesan, Atomic (the spicier sauce on the menu), and Orange Szechuan.
To learn more about all of the Wingstop Wings’ sauces, watch this!
Who Has The Best Value For Money?
Wingstop is way cheaper than Buffalo Wild Wings. Their wings, on average, are almost 25 per cent cheaper than their competitors’. At Wingstop, you can get ten wings for around $6, while the same portion costs around $10 at Buffalo Wild Wings.
But the fact of the matter is that cheaper prices don’t necessarily translate to quality. With that being said, Wingstop’s prices are very competitive and better than those of Buffalo Wild Wings.
Who Has The Better Packaging?
Wingstop has a better rating when it comes to food reviews and customer satisfaction. Wingstop uses high-quality paper bags that are covered with branding. They also use individual boxes and have stickers indicating the flavours of the sides and sauces included within.
On the other hand, Buffalo Wild Wings use plastic bags that have their respective branding on them. They also use stickers to indicate their sauce flavours, but their packaging is fancier than Wingstop’s, according to customer reviews.
Who Has the Best Fries?
Buffalo Wild Wings has fries that are thin and seasoned heavily. Wingstop, on the other hand, has a more traditional style of fries which are thicker, lightly seasoned, and depend on the quality of the potatoes to ensure a good taste.
Furthermore, Wingstop gives you the option of buying extra crispy fries, which results in fries that are not soggy when you order them for takeaway or delivery.
Buffalo Wild Wings’ Flavours Hit The Spot
Buffalo Wild Wings has a wide and often extreme selection of wing flavours to choose from that may be more exotic as compared to Wingstop, which serves a more balanced blend. For some people, Buffalo Wild Wings’ sauces are too spicy, but they have options to cater to all types of people.
No matter how you prefer your wings, they’ve got you covered.
The restaurant also moves its flavours to different locations throughout the year, so you may find a new flavour every now and then when you go to your nearest branch. They currently have 25 different flavours at Buffalo Wild Wings, with more being added with every passing year.
In addition to this, they sell their sauces in bottled versions online so people can use these sauces in their own meals.
This increases usage and leads to the promotion of their sauces worldwide.
Is Buffalo Wild Wings The Best Place To Hangout?
Buffalo Wild Wings has a great atmosphere as compared to Wingstop. They have high-quality TV screens all over the place playing all kinds of sports, making it an ideal place for college and university students alike.
It acts as the ultimate hub to get together, drink beer, watch sports and eat wings. The high-quality ambience attracts more customers.
Who Has The Better Overall Rating?
According to a vast number of reviews, Buffalo Wild Wings has had a slightly better overall rating than Wingstop. Buffalo Wild Wings has a better CEO performance approval and an increased salary satisfaction rating as compared to Wingstop.
Buffalo Wild Wings have been known to pay their cooks, managers, and servers a higher pay than those at Wingstop with the exception of their cashiers, that are often slightly underpaid for some reason.
But it should be kept in mind that Buffalo Wild Wings is a much larger company than Wingstop. They have 10 times the employees, and their modern-day revenue is billions, which is considerably higher than that of buffalo wings.
Current Status
According to the 2014 Entrepreneur Franchise 500, both Wingstop and Buffalo Wild Wings are ranked among the top one hundred franchise businesses. No. 62 on the list is Buffalo Wild Wings.
It concluded the previous year with 938 total units, 409 of which were company-owned outlets. Entrepreneur ranked Wingstop at number 77. It had 578 units at the end of 2013, of which just 24 were company-owned.
According to a business announcement, Buffalo Wild Wings continues to grow toward its goal of 1,700 outlets in the United States and Canada. It expects to open roughly 50 company-owned Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants in 2015.
Its franchisees opening an additional 40 outlets in the United States. According to published reports, Wingstop has stated that it intends to have 1,000 outlets by 2017, which is a huge number.
What Do They Have In Common?
Due to the snack-like nature of their primary goods, which have become a staple for many sports fans, both businesses rely on a sports link. Wingstop hired Super Bowl champion and NFL Hall of Famer Troy Aikman as its national ambassador in order to strengthen its relationship with sports fans.
Meanwhile, Buffalo Wild Wings has revealed that it has bought the naming rights to the Citrus Bowl, which is played on New Year’s Day in Orlando, Florida. As part of a multiyear agreement commencing in 2015, Buffalo Wild Wings will gain national exposure via television, radio, social media, and digital media, as well as broadcast, outdoor, and print advertising throughout Central Florida to promote the game.
Best Seller Flavors
The most popular wings at Buffalo are the Mango Habanero, Chipotle BBQ, Parmesan Garlic, and traditional Buffalo wings. Additionally, they provide the Asian Zing, which contains the ideal combination of ginger, pepper, and spice. There are 360 calories in six traditional or boneless wings.
Wingstop’s Garlic Parmesan is favored for its “mild” flavor, whilst Atomic Wings are the spiciest. Under the spiciness is a flavorful beef, but you must be prepared for the strong heat. There are 550 calories in ten Wingstop chickens.
Eight Secrets About Wingstop
Wingstop Employees Have Done Some Pretty Gross Stuff
Through the years, Wingstop has been involved in a number of problems due to revelations of unethical employee conduct. FOX 13 Memphis reported in 2016 that an employee at a Wingstop facility in Colorado allegedly dipped her face in a bucket of raw chicken.
Their “Boneless Wings” Aren’t Wings
Wingstop’s “wings without bones” are not wings at all. According to Business Insider, they are breast-meat-based chicken nuggets. And they are significantly less expensive than actual wings, which are in particularly short supply right now, making them an excellent profit generator.
The Wings Are Sodium And Fat Bombs
Even if you didn’t think chicken wings were a portion of healthy food, the statistics are still quite dismal. For example, one Cajun wing contains 310 mg of salt. So, 10 wings per serving? According to the FDA, you should not consume more than 3,100 mg of sodium in a single day.
In addition, a single Garlic Parmesan wing or Lemon Pepper wing contains eight grams of fat, so consuming 10 wings will result in 80 grams of fat, which exceeds the daily maximum, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Add any side, and the scary totals continue to rise.
The Stock Price Of Wingstop Has Tumbled
The value of a Wingstop share has declined drastically from its all-time high of over $183 per share in mid-September 2021. At the beginning of 2022, Wingstop shares were trading in the $170 range, but as of the time of this writing, they had dropped significantly to the $120 region. However, prior to the chain’s IPO seven years ago, the stock was only worth approximately $30 per share.
The Hedge Fund That Owns Wingstop
The primary objective of Wingstop’s owners is to make money, not to prepare meals. According to National Restaurant News, the company was acquired by one investment group about twenty years ago and then by its present owner, Roark Capital Group, in 2010. In addition to The Cheesecake Factory, Orange Theory Fitness, and Massage Envy, Roark Capital Group controls numerous more seemingly unconnected brands.
You Must Receive One More Wing Per Ten
According to the same Wingstop employee’s Reddit Q&A, the chain’s protocol is to add one additional wing per order beyond 10. Thus, a 10-piece order should contain 11 wings, a 20-piece order should contain 22, etc. If you do not receive these bonus wings, you may inquire about the policy.
It’s Easy To Get Free Fries
According to a Wingstop employee who participated in an “Ask Me Anything” session on Reddit, obtaining a free order of fries from Wingstop is simple. To receive a voucher, simply complete the brief survey indicated at the bottom of your receipt.
Wingstop Wants No Public Opinions
Have a wonderful idea for a new sauce, breading, or combination meal? Then keep it to yourself. Wingstop has a written policy prohibiting it from even researching and accepting “unsolicited ideas” for new menu items or upgrades from third parties.
The goal, according to their onsite FAQ, is to insulate themselves from litigation in the event that they “develop a fresh concept through our internal expertise” only to have “a customer/fan submit a substantially similar idea.” So keep your thoughts to yourself. Alternatively, you may share them elsewhere.
Seven Secrets About Buffalo Wild Wings
Here are some interesting details about Buffalo Wild Wings. For starters, the chain’s image among customers is deteriorating due to a plethora of reasons.
Customers appear to have soured on Buffalo Wild Wings in recent months, with many going to social media platforms such as Twitter and Reddit to express their displeasure with the restaurant. Slower service, greater costs, and poor food quality are all common concerns.
The Most Popular Menu Item Is Not A Chicken Wing
To be sure, Buffalo Wild Wings sells a lot of chicken wings, but they are not the company’s best-selling item. This award goes to boneless wings, which have outsold regular wings for more than a decade, according to Mashed.
The Company Has Been Accused Of Racism Multiple Times
According to Mashed, several former Buffalo Wild Wings employees have complained about being treated unfairly because of their skin colour. Even customers have reported discrimination difficulties.
For instance, a group of black diners who have supposedly been pushed to seat apart from several white regulars at one location, and a client who was apparently doused with pepper spray by a guard when he entered a restaurant to pick up an order.
Employees Usually Have To Pay For Their Uniforms
Buffalo Wild Wings only provides their employees just one trademarked uniform shirt, which servers are expected to wear. That means either doing daily laundry when someone has back-to-back days, or the waiters and waitresses having to spend their own money on a second and third shirt. Because turning up filthy is also not permitted.
Almost None Of The Food Is Healthy
Of all, fried wings coated in sauce and dipped in creamy dressing—or fried pickles, fried mozzarella sticks, greasy burgers, and so on—are hardly healthy foods, but the depth of Buffalo Wild Wings’ unhealthiness is nevertheless astonishing in the negative sense.
A large order of classic wings with a spicy garlic sauce, for example, contains 1,460 calories, 86 grams of fat, and 3,450 mg of sodium, according to HealthLine. Large boneless wings tossed in Thai curry sauce? You’ll get 2,040 calories, 133 grams of fat, and a whopping 7,050 milligrammes of salt.
Very Little Food Is Cooked Fresh At Buffalo Wild Wings
According to many employees who reported on the kitchens of Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants, the majority of “cooking” consists of deep frying and microwaving ingredients.
Many of these are held frozen for extended periods of time, according to Mashed. In addition, many prepared foods sit under warming lamps for extended periods of time before being served.
The Name Used To Be Different
According to Delish, when B-Dubs initially opened, it was called Buffalo Wild Wings & Weck, with the “Weck ” referring to a roast beef sandwich served on a kimmel weck bread, which is also popular in Buffalo.
However, the sandwich did not sell well, although the wings did, so the proprietors quickly removed the weck from the menu and changed the moniker to the one we know today. And, yes, the weck is why the location is often referred to as BW3.
Who Is The King Of Wings?
Buffalo Wild Wings is the King of Wings because you can enjoy great-tasting wing varieties with your friends in a pleasant atmosphere while drinking a cold beer. Their variety of salty, sweet, and spicy wing flavours makes them a clear winner.
It is not dependent on the sauce but on its overall seasoning. In addition to having the best wings, Wingstop has the best fries.
Conclusion
Both giants trade blows in different departments. Wingstop has better sauces, and their wings are rated better. They also make use of better packaging and are eco-friendly as they use paper bags instead of plastic ones, which are harder to dispose of.
On the other hand, Buffalo Wild Wings has better fries and a superior atmosphere but costs more. In the end, it comes down to personal preference and the amount of money that you may be willing to spend.
