Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. opened its first Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in the United Arab Emirates. The new restaurant, which is located at Jumeirah Beach Road and Al Shasha Street in Dubai, is joining more than 1,120 Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the Philippines.
As one of the fastest-growing restaurant brands in the U.S., the company has grown quickly in Mexico and the Philippines over the last year, and believes the concept will be popular in the Middle East as well. The first location in Saudi Arabia is also scheduled to open later this month.
"As we continue our international expansion, we've seen again and again that true passion for sports and the camaraderie that comes with watching a big game with family and friends is a universal phenomenon," says Sally Smith, CEO and president of Buffalo Wild Wings. "Between our fresh, diverse menu and sports centric dining experience, we are confident that local guests will be drawn to this fun new option for watching their favorite sporting events."
The core elements of Buffalo Wild Wings' success—wings and sports—will remain, but will be modified to fit with the local culture. The Buffalo Wild Wings location in Dubai will feature the company's new stadia restaurant design, which provides the ultimate sports viewing experience while bringing the look and feel of the stadium experience into the restaurant. It will also feature a video gaming wall, where guests can compete against each other in some of the latest sports gaming titles currently in the market.
Buffalo Wild Wings is know for Buffalo, New York-style chicken wings, available in 21 signature sauces and seasonings, ranging from Sweet BBQ to Blazin'. There’s also a full menu of burgers, appetizers, and thin-crust flatbreads. Although the Dubai restaurant location will not serve alcohol, it will offer an extensive selection of non-alcoholic cocktails and malt beverages, along with a variety of milkshakes, lemonades, fusion juices, smoothies, coffees, and teas.
Each restaurant has an extensive multi-media system that features large wall-to-wall high-definition televisions for sports viewing
The Dubai restaurant is operated by First Food Services (LLC), an affiliate of The Olayan Group, an international enterprise and restaurant operator in the Middle East and North Africa region with headquarters in Saudi Arabia. The franchise group expects to open multiple Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants in the Middle East region over the next several years.
Buffalo Wild Wings' international expansion began in 2011 with restaurants in Canada, which have grown to include 14 locations, and continued with the opening of nine restaurants in Mexico starting in 2013. As part of its continued international growth, Buffalo Wild Wings announced further expansion planned for India and Panama. The company continues to seek opportunities in markets around the world.
"As we explore new markets, we take the time to learn about the countries, cultures and potential partners," Smith says. "We're pleased to be working with a well-known and well-respected franchise partner in the Middle East that understands the needs and interests of this dynamic, evolving market, as well as our target guest."
