A new Buffalo Wings & Rings (BWR) restaurant is taking flight in Brownsville, Texas, due to new franchisees Francisco, Juan, and Luis Guillermo Cordova.
Family ties run deep for the newest addition to BWR. With relatives owning and operating the Mission, Texas, BWR franchise, the “Brownsville Boys” know what it takes to run a successful franchise restaurant in an unstable economy. The Cordovas have a strong service industry background and are looking forward to extending the BWR brand in southern Texas with the opening of their first location by early 2011.
The state of Texas is an integral component to Buffalo Wings & Rings’ overall growth strategy. The chain currently operates 55 locations nationwide, eight of which reside in The Lone Star State. Last year alone, BWR opened two locations in McAllen and one each in the cities of Del Rio, Mission, Round Rock, and Weslaco.
“Our goal is controlled growth in markets where we have found past successes, and southern Texas best embodies that for Buffalo Wings & Rings at this point in time,” says Philippe Schram, executive vice president of sales.
BWR’s product mix and family-friendly, laid back atmosphere work well in Texas, according to Dan Doulen, director of sales for the company. Doulen also attributes some of the chain’s success in this region to a unique economic environment.
“South Texas, in particular, appears to be less affected by the economic downturn that has jilted the rest of the country, so that also bodes well for our growth,” he says.
Other Texas markets currently up for expansion consideration with BWR include Corpus Christi, Eagle Pass, Harington, and Laredo. Additionally, the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston markets consistently score high on the company’s market analysis studies of the top cities in the country for successful expansion.
The next step for the new BWR Brownsville franchisees is selecting a location for their new restaurant. The site selection process looks to be a quick process for them, as several Brownsville sites have already moved to the top of the list of potential locations. The Cordovas will work with a private real estate contractor to assist in the site selection process. Construction will then commence on the new Brownsville location, a process which takes approximately four months.
