Which company has been Buffalo Wild Wings' parent since 2018?

Since 2018, Buffalo Wild Wings has been a subsidiary of Inspire Brands.

The change followed Arby’s Restaurant Group’s acquisition of Buffalo Wild Wings in a deal valued at about $2.4 billion plus debt. The transaction closed on February 5, 2018, and Arby’s Restaurant Group was renamed Inspire Brands, creating the new parent company.

Buffalo Wild Wings kept its own brand identity, restaurants, menu and operating style rather than being rebranded as Arby’s or folded into another chain. Inspire was structured as a multi-brand restaurant company, with its individual chains operating under their established names.

A common mix-up is confusing Inspire Brands with Roark Capital Group. Roark backed and controlled Inspire, but Inspire is the direct parent named in Buffalo Wild Wings’ corporate structure. Inspire later added brands such as Sonic, Jimmy John’s, Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins to its portfolio.