Buffalo Wild Wings All-You-Can-Eat Offer Increases Traffic by Up to 74%

It’s no secret that restaurants have been dealing with post-pandemic impacts, including food inflation, supply chain issues, labor issues and changing customer habits . While some bow to bankruptcy protection or store closures, others rely on old glory marketing schemes, such as unlimited specials and “endless” bowls or plates. containing everything from seafood to pasta and, yes, even chicken wings. . That’s exactly what’s happening at Buffalo Wild Wings, the restaurant and sports bar chain affectionately known as B-Dubs.

B-Dubs (which registered its moniker with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2007) operates 1,300 restaurants across dozens of U.S. states. He is now betting on an adventure similar to the one that eliminated one of his competitors in the multi-location world of restaurant chains. The Buffalo Wild Wings Special is a restaurant exclusive called All You Can Eat Boneless Wings+Fries.

The Unlimited Wings Deal, launched March 13, allows customers to devour endless wings and fries, plus a choice of 20 B-Dubs sauces, for one flat fee of $19.99. Clearly, it’s been a resounding success, at least in terms of foot traffic, according to consumer tracking company Placer.ai. On Mondays and Wednesdays, when the special offer is valid, the company saw notable traffic increases, some as high as 74%, erasing previous negative traffic patterns. It remains to be seen whether this increase will translate into favorable long-term benefits or benefits.

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Succeeding in All-You-Can-Eat Territory

A crucial part of promoting Buffalo Wild Wings all you can eat is the schedule. It’s clearly being marketed as being available for a limited period of time, which differs from the death blow Red Lobster suffered when implementing the return of its once-popular Endless Shrimp promotion. The management team took a gamble by making it a permanent menu item, and they wasted a lot of time. Although foot traffic increased significantly at Red Lobster restaurants, the decision is partly credited with pushing them into bankruptcy, posting an $11 million loss in the third quarter of 2023 and leading the owners to file for divestment of their Red Lobster holdings.

Buffalo Wild Wings and other chains with all-you-can-eat specialties, including Olive Garden’s occasional Never Ending Pasta Bowl, have the advantage of generating advertising and foot traffic, but with an end game. However, industry experts warn of the undesirable effects of super deals, even short-term ones. The hope is that customers will spend elsewhere on the menu to make up for losses, but this is not always the case and some diners inevitably consume too much.

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Plus, high-consumption specials mean customers are likely to stay at the table much longer. This can result in limited table turnover, longer wait times, and fewer tips for restaurant servers. Another danger is increased customer expectations for lower prices. So far, Buffalo Wild Wings is holding strong in its commitment to unlimited wings and fries. He even appeared to lash out at his failed rival with a tweet: “Please don’t put us out of business.”

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