In which Ohio city was Buffalo Wild Wings founded in 1982?

Buffalo Wild Wings was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1982. The original restaurant was called Buffalo Wild Wings & Weck, a name that referred to both chicken wings and beef on weck, a Western New York sandwich.

Founders James Disbrow and Scott Lowery decided to open the restaurant after meeting in Kent, Ohio, and finding that local dining options did not offer the Buffalo-style wings they wanted. They chose a site near Ohio State University in Columbus, giving the new restaurant access to a large college audience.

The chain expanded gradually before beginning franchising in 1992. It later operated under shortened names such as BW3 and B-Dubs, but standardized its national name as Buffalo Wild Wings in 1998. A common mix-up is Cincinnati: the company established headquarters there in 1992, but Columbus was the founding city.

The restaurant’s early menu also explains the original “Weck” name, which was eventually dropped as the brand focused more heavily on wings, sauces, sports, and casual dining.