A few months after debuting their new compact "GO" format in Sandy Springs, Buffalo Wild Wings plans to bring the new quick-serve concept to Emory Village. Newly released planning documents indicate that the new Buffalo Wild Wings GO will open in place of Romeo's Pizza which recently closed at 1401 Oxford Road across the street from the Emory University campus. At 1,952 square feet, the new location will be slightly larger than the Sandy Springs outpost, but will likely still be about the same in features and offerings.
The new location at Emory Village will be situated between Chase Bank and Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Chase Bank, which late last year opened in place of Keba Sandwiches, which itself replaced Yogi Mogi, remains "temporarily closed."
Buffalo Wild Wings joins a growing number of casual-dining brands creating mini off-premise and quick-serve versions of their full-service concepts. Atlanta-based Hooters brought its Hoot's Righteous Wings (Hoots Wings?) quick-serve concept to metro Atlanta last year. The concept, first tested in Cicero, a suburb of Chicago, was tweaked and brought to Atlanta first at Madison Yards in Reynoldstown, later to North Decatur Station near Decatur, and most recently to Peachtree Corners Town Center in Peachtree Corners.
The menu at Buffalo Wild Wings GO features top-selling items from the restaurant's full service restaurant such as traditional and boneless wings, tenders, sides and all 23 Buffalo Wild Wings sauces and dry rubs, but also will offer select new items as well. The casual-dining units’ buy-one-get-one Traditional Tuesdays and Boneless Thursdays will be offered in the fast-casual restaurant as well.
In many ways, GO is reminiscent of Wingstop, a quick-serve wing restaurant that Buffalo Wild Wings' backer, Roark Capital Group, previously owned. A few years ago, Wingstop had a location at Toco Hills, but it burned down and was most recently proposed to be rebuilt as a drive-thru Jamba/Auntie Anne's combo location. (Jamba and Auntie Anne's are both part of FOCUS Brands, an affiliate of Roark Capital Group.)
Buffalo Wild Wings has more than 1,250 locations worldwide. Inspire Brands, an affiliate of Atlanta-based Roark Capital Group, also owns Arby’s, Jimmy John’s, Rusty Taco, and Sonic Drive-In.
The new Buffalo Wild Wings GO in Emory Village will likely open in early 2021.
Are you excited for the opening of Buffalo Wild Wings GO at Emory Village? What is your favorite place for wings in Atlanta? What other types of restaurants or businesses would you like to see open in Emory Village?
Please share your thoughts below.
1 comment:
Glad to hear the space is replaced quickly, but it doesn't fill a need in the neighborhood. For one, the students are gone. Second, the neighborhood is older and mostly supports local businesses (Chipotle being the one exception). The lack of parking will also be a major hurdle. Good luck to them, but I think it's a misstep.
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