# Buffalo Wild Wings Franchise Funding for Existing Owners

> Funding for existing Buffalo Wild Wings owners: sports bar screens and kitchen equipment, bar inventory, game-day payroll and GO units, read from deposits.

Source: https://mfebusinessloans.com/franchise-funding/brands/buffalo-wild-wings/ (Merchant Fund Express, updated 2026-10-21)

## The short answer

Merchant Fund Express funds existing Buffalo Wild Wings franchisees with business loans, merchant cash advances, revenue-based financing, lines of credit, equipment financing and working capital, from $25,000 to $5,000,000. A sports bar earns in game-night surges, so we read a full season of deposits after royalty, advertising, food and bar drafts. Complete files are decided the same day, and funding often lands the next business day.

## Who is this page for?

Franchisees with open Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants: the full sports bar with full bar and patio, or the smaller GO unit built for takeout and delivery. Inspire Brands calls it the largest sports bar chain in the United States, and the format carries costs a quick-service unit does not: a bar program, a large floor staff and screens that must work every game day.
See the chicken and wings franchise funding guide and the bar and nightclub industry page.

## What the franchisor publishes

Buffalo Wild Wings: facts from official sources
Parent company: Inspire Brands (source)
Initial franchise fee: $25,000 (sports bar), plus a $12,500 development fee (source)
Royalty: 5% of gross sales (sports bar) (source)
Advertising fund: 4% of gross sales (sports bar) (source)
Total initial investment: $2,463,945 to $4,900,320 for the sports bar (FDD issued March 26, 2026) (source)
Liquid assets / net worth asked of new franchisees: $750,000 / $1,500,000 (sports bar) (source)
Locations: More than 1,300 restaurants in nine global markets (as stated by the franchisor, undated) (source)
Published formats: Freestanding sports bar (about 5,380 sq ft, 170 to 200 seats) and endcap (about 5,289 sq ft), both with full bar and patio (source)
Buffalo Wild Wings GO: Takeout and delivery format: $30,000 fee, 6% royalty, 3.25% advertising, $375,845 to $919,500 investment (FDD issued March 26, 2026), $500,000 liquid / $1,000,000 net worth (source)
US franchising status: Actively franchising in the US (source)
Checked Oct 2026 against official sources: the franchisor's own franchising site, its FDD or SEC filings, or the SBA Franchise Directory. Figures change; confirm current numbers in the latest Franchise Disclosure Document. Figures we could not confirm from an official source are left out.

## Every way to fund your Buffalo Wild Wings location

Already running a Buffalo Wild Wings location and need capital? Merchant Fund Express funds existing franchise owners with every product below. Terms depend on the business's revenue and history.
Franchise business loan: a fixed term suits a dining room, bar or patio remodel.
Merchant cash advance: remittance tracks card sales, easing in quiet weeks between seasons.
Revenue-based financing: sized on a full season of deposits, not one big weekend.
Business line of credit: draw for wings, beer and liquor before football season, repay as game nights fill the room.
Equipment financing: screens, AV, fryers, walk-ins and bar coolers on a quote.
Working capital: covers extra staff for a big weekend before card batches settle.

## Which problems do Buffalo Wild Wings owners bring to a funding review?

Screens and AV fail before a big game
In a sports bar the screens are the product. Displays and audio are an equipment purchase with a quote; financing them keeps cash for food and payroll.
Wing, beer and liquor inventory ahead of the season
Football means bigger food and bar orders before sales arrive. A line of credit fits; see bar inventory funding.
A large crew and a remodel cycle
A 150 to 200 seat room needs a big crew, and remodels arrive on schedule. Working capital covers payroll; a term loan carries the remodel.

## Which product fits which Buffalo Wild Wings need?

Need | Product | Published requirement it leans on | What to send |
Displays, AV and audio replacement | Equipment financing | Vendor quote and useful life | Quote, 3 months of statements |
Pre-season food, beer and liquor stock | Line of credit | Tier 1: 3+ years, FICO 650+, 8+ deposits a month | Statements, invoices |
Game-weekend staffing gap | Working capital | Tier 2: 6+ months, FICO 600+, $60K verifiable revenue | Statements, payroll register |
Dining room, bar or patio remodel | Business loan | Tier 1, applicant owns at least 50% | Contractor bid, statements |
Uneven deposits across a season | Revenue-based financing | Tier 2: minimum daily balance $800, up to 2 current advances | Statements per entity |

## How does the review read a Buffalo Wild Wings location?

Entity. The company on the franchise agreement and its operating account; groups often keep each bar in its own LLC.
Seasonal deposits. Card batches peak around football and playoffs; several months of statements put a slow summer in context.
Franchisor drafts. Royalty and advertising debits are read as recurring costs.
Food, beer and liquor drafts. Large and frequent, read as cost of goods.
Existing positions. Equipment leases and any current advances are counted; a new structure can sometimes lower the combined payment.

## What documents does a Buffalo Wild Wings review need?

About 3 months of business bank statements (bank PDFs) for each restaurant entity
The five-minute application (soft credit pull)
Quotes for screens, AV, kitchen or bar equipment
A debt schedule of current leases and advances
Full financials when the request is above $250,000
Merchant Fund Express offers Spanish-speaking support.

## A hypothetical Buffalo Wild Wings budget scenario

Take a sports bar depositing $260,000 in a football-season month: royalty and advertising $23,400, food and bar $78,000, payroll $82,000, rent $21,000, equipment payments $6,600. New screens and audio are quoted at $96,000.
Monthly deposits$260,000
Less royalty/ad, food and bar, payroll, rent, equipment$260,000 - $23,400 - $78,000 - $82,000 - $21,000 - $6,600 = $49,000
$96,000 over 36 monthsabout $2,667/month before cost of funds
Share of what remains$2,667 / $49,000 = about 5.4%
Figures in this example are illustrations of the arithmetic, not an offer, quote or approval. Real terms depend on the file and the funder.

## What if you are buying or opening a Buffalo Wild Wings instead?

An unopened sports bar or GO unit needs an operating history before Merchant Fund Express can review it; see opening a restaurant franchise. If you already run Buffalo Wild Wings units and are adding one, the review reads your current units' deposits; see funding a second location. Buying an open restaurant from another franchisee follows franchise transfer financing.

## Keep reading

Chicken and wings franchise funding: the sector guide for wing and chicken concepts
Franchise brands we cover: other brand pages with the same review approach
Seasonal cash flow for franchises: peaks and slow stretches
Bar equipment financing: coolers, taps and AV
Multi-unit franchise funding: reading several entities at once

## Common questions

### Can I finance TVs and audio equipment for my Buffalo Wild Wings?

Yes. Screens and sound systems are reviewed against a vendor quote and their useful life.

### How does a seasonal sports bar get read?

We read several months of deposits so peaks and quiet weeks are both in view. A line of credit or revenue-based financing usually fits best.

### Can a Buffalo Wild Wings GO owner apply?

Yes. A GO unit is read on its own deposits, delivery payouts, franchisor drafts and existing payments.

### What if I own several Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants?

Each entity is read on its own deposits; one request can cover several locations.

### Are you affiliated with Buffalo Wild Wings?

No. Merchant Fund Express is independent. We use the Buffalo Wild Wings name only to identify the owners this page is for; it does not mean the franchisor endorses or works with us.

Merchant Fund Express is independent. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Buffalo Wild Wings or its franchisor.

Apply with Merchant Fund Express: https://merchantfundexpress.com/current-application.html?utm_source=mfebusinessloans.com&utm_medium=franchise&utm_campaign=franchise-funding&utm_content=buffalo-wild-wings