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Carolina Wings Holds UNCW Basketball Tip-Off Luncheon

On Oct. 17, Carolina Wings Management, LLC hosted a tip-off luncheon to kick off the University of North Carolina at Wilmington basketball season.

The tip-off luncheon, which included all-you-can-eat wings, started at 11:30 a.m., followed by a “meet the coaches” session at noon. During the session, attendees got the opportunity to meet and listen to third-year men’s head coach Kevin Keatts and fifth-year women’s skipper Adell Harris. Keatts is the first coach in the history of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) to win Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons.

“We have been doing the coaches show for many years, and it has grown since,” said Larry Alderson, franchisee with Carolina Wings. “We started the tip-off luncheon maybe five years ago as a way to start the basketball season and introduce the team and coaches to the alumni and sponsors.”

Alderson noted that this year they added an extra incentive to get people through the door – each attendee was given a card for a free lunch if they attend at least five of the coaches’ shows.

During the event, the coaches would present each player’s particular strengths, upcoming games and prospects for the season. The coaches also opened the floor for a Q&A session.

Mike Vaccaro, UNCW’s play-by-play voice, was the emcee for the event. Tickets were $20 and included the buffet, drink, tax and tip.

JK&T Wings Raises Over $1,000 for Local Shop with a Cop Event

The western Washtenaw County Shop with a Cop event took place at a Meijer in Ann Arbor Nov. 30.

On Oct. 5, a Buffalo Wild Wings^© in Ann Arbor, Michigan, hosted a fundraiser that hopefully made the Christmas season a little brighter for a few children. For the first time, the JK&T Wings location participated in Shop with a Cop, an event which is now in its 15^th year and is put on by the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office.

The BWW^© location donated 20 percent of their sales on Oct. 5 so that the local sheriff’s office could purchase gift cards and other necessities for the area’s youth in need. Approximately $1,074 was raised for the event.

“We were approached by the group to hold a fundraiser at our Ann Arbor location. This was the first year we’ve held the fundraiser and would love to do it again,” said franchisee Kent Ward. “The community perceived this event well and rallied behind it by showing up for the fundraiser.”

The event aims to provide kids who normally wouldn’t have the financial ability to celebrate Christmas, the opportunity to buy gifts for friends and family. On top of a $125 Meijer gift card, Shop with a Cop presents roughly 100 children with a backpack, T-shirt, a hat, gloves, a blanket, toothpaste, a toothbrush and even a personal letter from Santa.

jkt-3 The event took place in two consecutive sessions with the western Washtenaw County Shop with a Cop taking place at a Meijer in Ann Arbor, Nov. 30, and the eastern Washtenaw County Shop with a Cop event taking place at a Meijer in Van Buren Township Dec. 7.

“Helping out the community and assisting with charitable organizations is just something that doesn’t need to be asked to do,” said Ward. “We feel strongly that if we come into communities then it is our responsibility to stand behind them.”

Wings West Operations Raises $10,000 for Breast Cancer at Annual Pink Party

The sixth annual Pink Party was able to raise $10,000 for Bridget’s Gift, a Yuma, Arizona, breast cancer organization.

On Oct. 12, a Buffalo Wild Wings^® in Yuma, Arizona, held its sixth annual Pink Party for Bridget’s Gift, a local breast cancer organization.

On top of donating 15 percent of net restaurant proceeds for that day, the B-Dubs^® location also featured a raffle and a silent auction where items ranged from a diamond pendant and staycations to coolers and event tickets. “It was a huge collaborative effort from so many local business owners,” said Wings West Operations franchisee Lisa Meyer. T-shirts were also sold to help raise money.

Roughly 500 people came out to support Bridget’s Gift, and with the community’s help, the event was able raise a total of $10,000.

Local organizations such as the news media, radio station, police and fire departments, and even the Jaycees chapter all collaborated to pull off the best event yet. The 2016 event represents the most money ever raised at the annual Pink Party, and Meyer thinks that the company is already on the path to raise even more money next year.

“It was the most successful fundraiser we’ve ever had, and it was made possible from an enormous collaborative community effort,” said Meyer. “I’m so grateful to have a business involved in a Yuma-based organization formed in memory of Yuma native Bridget Orta Martinez that focuses on education, awareness and support of breast cancer in the Yuma County area.”

Four M Capital Hosts Flurry of Celebrity Meet and Greets at Times Square Location

Country singer and songwriter IMAJ stopped by the Times Square BWW, Sept. 20, for a private event. (Photo credit: Bruce Glikas/Buffalo Wild Wings)

When franchisees are thinking of ways to heighten brand awareness, scheduling celebrity meet and greets might not come to mind, but for Four M Capital’s Times Square Buffalo Wild Wings^© location, it has proved to be a wonderful tool.

When Ayana Brown stepped into the role of events sales manager in July 2016, she brought with her 18 years of contacts from the entertainment industry. Brown formerly worked with Planet Hollywood Times Square where she handled celebrity events, of which scheduling meet and greets was a big part.

“When I left and came to BWW^© Times Square, I brought my publicists and entertainment industry contacts with me,” said Brown. “This space still works for them because it’s centrally located to transportation, is a recognizable brand, and they know I can successfully execute it and get everyone some press exposure.”

The first of these celebrity meet and greets was Sept. 20, when country singer and songwriter IMAJ stopped by the B-Dubs^® location for a private event and performed for several children from a charity organization. IMAJ has toured with artists such as Collin Raye, Kip Moore, Gretchen Wilson, Billy Dean, Neal McCoy and LeAnn Rimes, and CMA (Country Music Association) CloseUp Magazine labeled her as “The One to Watch.” While at Buffalo Wild Wings, IMAJ signed autographs, took photos with attendees and featured a special advanced screening of the music video for her latest hit.

On Sept. 30, Benjamin and Matthew Royer dropped by the restaurant for a photo op and some interviews. The Royer twins are best known for the Disney Channel show “Best Friends Whenever” and are also ambassadors for Disney Channel and ABC’s Choose Kindness anti-bullying campaign. Other shows in which the Royer twins have made appearances include “Back in the Game,” “100 Things to Do Before High School,” “Sam and Cat,” “2 Broke Girls” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”

Parimore Entertainment artists Casandra Ashe, Maxso, Greg Marks and Calista Quinn attended a meet and greet, Sept. 30, where they took photos with fans and signed autographs. (Photo credit: Bruce Glikas/Buffalo Wild Wings)

Later that day, a group of artists signed and represented by Parimore Entertainment came to the wing haven for a meet and greet. Talent included singer and actress Casandra Ashe who has appeared in films such as “Bad Santa,” “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Rattle Basket;” rapper Maxso who has appeared alongside artists Eminem and 50 Cent and has been on shows, including “The Wayne Brady Show,” “The View,” “The Today Show” and “Jimmy Kimmel;” singer Calista Quinn who recently released a new single that was named one of Radio Disney’s “top 4 fresh new songs to watch out for;” and singer Greg Marks who has released hits such as “Rock You to the Top” and “Too Late.” The Parimore Entertainment artists signed autographs and took photos with fans.

Eleven days later, the restaurant hosted yet another meet and greet for Denise Boutte who is best known for her role as Sasha Brown on Tyler Perry’s “Meet the Browns.” Boutte has also been cast in “Why Did I Get Married,” “For the Love of Ruth” and “The Bounce Back.”

While Brown admits that these types of events don’t necessarily lead to an immediate increase in revenue and that most guests come to see talent and then leave, the meet and greets are great for increasing location and brand awareness and are designed to drive future business.

But the Times Square location doesn’t just cater to small groups of singers and actors. The restaurant also welcomed UFC fighters Stipe Miocic and Anthony Pettis to mingle with fans on Nov. 11, the day before the UFC 205 event, and on Aug. 26, the BWW crew hosted an entire gifting suite.

L-R: UFC fighters Anthony Pettis and Stipe Miocic stopped by for a meet and greet event Nov. 11.

When celebrities are in town for award shows there are typically various gifting suites set up where the stars go to get free products that sponsors want to photograph them with for promotional purposes. Not only did this provide exposure for the vendors, but B-Dubs was able to get in on the action as well. Aside from having photos taken at the restaurant, the group of 18 reality TV stars from Oxygen, VH1 and MTV programs racked up a bill of $1,353.

Attendees were from shows, including “Teen Mom OG,” “The Real World,” “Are You The One,” “The Challenge,” “Teen Mom 2,” “Mob Wives,” “Love & Hip Hop,” “Wild’n Out,” “Black Ink Crew,” “Bad Girls Club,” “True Life,” and “Artist to Watch.”

“BWW Times Square is a very special place,” said Four M Capital franchisee Jim Bitzonis. “We have many meet-and-greet events with athletes and celebrities and always get great crowds, which creates awareness and familiarity for our guests, so we hope that the next time they are in the Big Apple, they will come visit the biggest and coolest B-Dubs around!”

Derby Wings Management Raises $140,000 for Down Syndrome Organization

Buffalo Wild Wings hosts an EWRF event the week before the golf tournament and invites people with Down syndrome to come to the restaurant and help raise awareness. Individuals with Down syndrome that become part of the B-Dubs crew for the day range from 4 years old to 25 years old.

In the summer of 2016, Derby Wings Management hosted the fourth annual golf scramble benefiting Angels in Disguise, a Down syndrome charity based in Louisville, Kentucky.

BWW^® franchisee Eric Titus has held a golf scramble every year for nearly a decade but stopped when he began getting frustrated at the seemingly low funds the events were bringing in.

“At the end of the day, we would raise $10,000, which is great, but for the effort, I didn’t feel like we were getting the impact we wanted. I kind of stepped aside, and we took a few years off,” he said.

When his contact at the golf course approached him years later asking to form a partnership for a new charity his family had created, Titus was ready to give it another shot.

“They would always do a lot of stuff for Down syndrome awareness, but they finally decided to create their own charity here locally,” said Titus. “Because of the passion of the charity and the fundraising that they helped with, it was a totally different experience with Angels in Disguise.”

The duo moved the event to a different golf course, and this year roughly 220 people on 55 teams came out to show their support for the cause.

“It was a traditional golf scramble, but because of the passion of the charity, we raised a little over $140,000,” said Titus. That figure has been growing larger and larger each year.

To help raise funds, the golf scramble was held in conjunction with the Giddy Up Gala, a dinner event that took place the night before the golf tournament at Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby.

“This is sort of an appreciation night for people who may not necessarily be golfers,” said Titus.

The Giddy Up Gala, held the night before the golf scramble, takes place at Churchill Downs and is an opportunity for those who don’t golf to get involved with Angels in Disguise.

The event includes a nice dinner, speakers who come to educate attendees on Down syndrome and various silent and live auctions. The fundraiser features hundreds of items to be auctioned off that range anywhere from a trip to Disney to a tour of a local winery or distillery.

Titus notes that Buffalo Wild Wings^® donates auction items ranging from NASCAR tickets and paraphernalia to a Cincinnati Bengals game with access to the Miller Lite party deck.

While B-Dubs^® isn’t heavily involved in the Giddy Up Gala, they are the primary sponsor for the golf scramble.

“We’re the ones who are actually out soliciting sponsorships and teams,” said Titus. “The day of the actual event, we’re really the ones who are executing it. I have a lot of my team members out there doing polls and registration and that kind of stuff.”

Buffalo Wild Wings also hosts an Eat Wing Raise Funds event the week before the golf tournament and invites people with Down syndrome to come to the restaurant and help raise awareness.

“We treat them like employees,” said Titus. “They come in, we give them uniforms, we schedule them for shift for a couple of hours, and as their families come in, they help serve them and greet them or whatever the case.”

This year’s golf scramble for Angels in Disguise welcomed 220 people on 55 teams.

Individuals with Down syndrome that become part of the B-Dubs crew for the day range from 4 years old to 25 years old.

“Our big goal throughout this whole thing is not only raising money, but it’s mainly trying to break down barriers and stereotypes,” said Titus. “It is our intention that everyone involved with the event has the chance to interact with these angels because our whole role is to show that they are not strange human beings; they are some of the most wonderful people on the planet.”

Derby Wings Management Partners with Louisville Radio Station to Collect Over 2,000 Bikes for Toys for Tots

Radio station Q103.1 sponsored Bikes or Bust, an event to collect bikes for Toys for Tots, in which radio personality Dingo stayed on a scissor lift for four days.

From Nov. 17-21, the city of Louisville, Kentucky, came together to help out Toys for Tots, and Buffalo Wild Wings^® wasn’t going to miss out on the fun. A local radio station, Q103.1, partnered with Sullivan University on the inaugural Bikes or Bust, which donates new bikes to Toys for Tots.

Radio personality Dingo agreed to spend over four consecutive days on a scissor lift parked in a Buffalo Wild Wings parking lot, and the Derby Wings Management location agreed to be the official location sponsor. The event encouraged anyone and everyone to visit the BWW^® location to drop off a donation, and Dingo greeted those who stopped by from 40 feet in the air.

Dingo was outfitted with a tent and other necessities and would update the community on the event via videos posted to social media.

“I actually approached the radio station, ironically, for another restaurant,” said franchisee Eric Titus. “I had told them I was looking for some kind of traffic-driving promotion, and they had come to me with several different things that I just didn’t like and didn’t think would work. Then they brought this up, and from the community connectivity aspect, I liked it and thought there could be some traffic-driving elements to it.”

The B-Dubs^® location at 10206 Westport Road provided roughly 13 spaces to the radio station where they could park the scissor lift and collect bikes. The company originally planned to only use half of the space but ended up using it all.

“The majority of our parking is in back, plus we have an easement with the shopping center that’s next to us, so there really is a lot of parking,” said Titus. “It didn’t hurt us that much, but we ended up taking up more space than we originally planned, mainly because of the amount of bikes that were donated.”

An amount that far exceeded the original goal. When the event was first created, a goal was set to donate 41 bikes to Toys for Tots because that was the projected need from the organization.

“We realized quickly, however, that there was a lot of people out there that wanted to donate bikes, so we adjusted our goal to 700,” said Titus.

Bikes or Bust collected new bikes for Toys for Tots, which is a program cultivated by the U.S. Marine Corps.

One of those people wanting to provide for the cause was country music icon Garth Brooks, who called into the radio station on the second day of the event and said he would donate 10 bikes for every hour Dingo stayed in the lift. For the 103 hours Dingo spent hoisted in the air, Brooks donated 1,030 bikes to the program.

“I was shocked, I was elated, and then I started realizing that what we were doing was bigger than we originally thought,” said Titus. “With Garth getting involved, all of a sudden there was a national element to it, which was really exciting.”

Titus notes that Brooks is currently on tour and has an upcoming show in Cincinnati, which is about one and a half hours away from Louisville.

“He appeared on their radio station to talk about his show, and through that process, he heard about what we were doing,” said Titus. “Obviously it must have struck a chord with him because he came out and said he wanted to get involved.”

With the substantial donation from Brooks, the team once again readjusted their goal – this time to 2,000 bikes.

“The generosity of our guests was really striking,” added Titus. “The bikes in the front were causing quite a stir in the community. So many people were driving by just to look at it, and then they would stop and ask us what was going on. It was really moving to see how much the community appreciated what we were doing.”

B-Dubs customers also showed the same sentiment with many stating that they didn’t have time to go buy a bike but donated money nonetheless.

“The thing that really struck me the most was that I had person after person thanking me and just coming up and saying how wonderful they thought what we were doing was,” said Titus.

The inaugural Bikes or Bust event collected over 2,000 bikes. The initial goal prior to the event starting was 41.

At the end of the 103 hours, the event had surpassed its goal of 2,000 bikes, and Buffalo Wild Wings saw an increase in revenue due to the fundraiser.

“If I were to speculate based on the sales we did, what we usually do and what my other stores did that week in comparison, with this promotion we saw about a 6 percent sales lift over the four days,” said Titus. “Lunch sales were up 23 percent on Monday.” That is when Dingo came down from the lift and many of the people involved celebrated with a B-Dubs lunch.

Titus admits that planning the event could have went more smoothly, but the end result was still amazing.

“When they first approached me, I didn’t realize that they wanted to set the lift up in our parking lot,” he said. “Literally, at the eleventh hour, I ended up moving it over to our Westport Road location because I could envision that a little more comfortably. The restaurant I wanted to do it at didn’t really have the room, and we had some issues with the sloping of the parking spots for the lift.”

Another word of caution for the event in the coming years, Titus says, is to notify retailers who sell bikes.

“Because of what we did, we sold out Meijer, Target and Wal-Mart on the east end,” he said. “This is the first time anything like this has been done in our market, but now I know I should probably give them a heads up. Nobody expected that kind of impact.”

Aside from the initial planning, everything else was handled by the U.S. Marines and the radio station. Several Marines even stood guard from the time the restaurant closed until the following morning.

“We did have our managers out there floating around and interacting with people who were donating bikes,” said Titus. The location also held an Eat Wings Raise Funds event the day before Bikes or Bust started and was able to raise $532.

Titus said this was the first time that BWW has done a major partnership with Q103.1, but he looks forward to making Bikes or Bust an annual event.

“We’d like to involve all BWWs in Louisville possibly,” he said. “We had a debrief at the end of the event, and we were already talking about next year and what we could do. I expect to take this next year and really run with it.”

New Jersey BWW 5K Raises $2,500 for Local Boys & Girls Club

AMPAL Group’s Watchung, New Jersey, location raised money for the local Boys & Girls Club through a 5K held Oct. 30.

On Oct. 30, roughly 100 runners gathered at a local park to support the organization. Runners were given an event T-shirt, goodie bag, coffee, water, energy drinks and snacks. There were also multiple sponsor tables and a live DJ.

“This was an amazing event where AMPAL Group was able to give back in a big way while hosting a fun event for the local community,” said franchisee Amit Patel. “We were very grateful for the turnout and generosity of the community throughout our first 5K event.”

The 5K raised approximately $2,500 for the Boys & Girls Club, and B-Dubs^® also held an Eat Wings Raise Funds event at the restaurant, which generated an additional $500.

“The local Boys & Girls Club brought their teens to help with the event, which was a treat to be able to work alongside those who the donation was going to help,” said Patel.

AMPAL Group Hosts First EWRF Event for the Raiders Baseball League

On Oct. 12, a Watchung, New Jersey, Buffalo Wild Wings^© location owned by AMPAL Group hosted the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Baseball League Day. This was the first Eat Wings Raise Funds event BWW^© has hosted for the Raiders.

“AMPAL Group strives to help each and every local school, sports team, organization, charity, etc. raise funds to help meet their needs,” said franchisee Amit Patel. “Watchung Buffalo Wild Wings has had great success with helping local organizations, such as the Raiders, raise funds to help offset costs associated with out-of-state trips the teams must take for tournaments.”

The league, which includes boys and girls, consists of pre-k, tee ball, AA Minors (second grade), AAA Minors (third and fourth grade), Majors (fifth and sixth grade) and Seniors (seventh through 10th grade) divisions.

B-Dubs^® donated 20 percent of sales from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to the league, which resulted in a check of more than $350. Each of AMPAL Group’s Buffalo Wild Wings locations sponsors a local youth sports team each quarter to help pay for uniforms, travel and equipment.

“AMPAL Group takes great pride in giving back to the community and being able to invite the team into Buffalo Wild Wings is an added bonus,” said Patel. “Being a part of the local community is what it’s all about for us, and we are honored that we are able to help ensure the Raiders get to Cooperstown for their big tournament.”

Carolina Wings Bartends for Breast Cancer

Doctors from Wilmington Plastic Surgery pour beer at a Carolina Wings’ Buffalo Wild Wings® to raise money for the Pretty in Pink Foundation.

Franchisee Larry Alderson of Carolina Wings Management, LLC teamed up with Wilmington Plastic Surgery for a unique fundraiser for breast cancer awareness month. The fundraiser raised money for Pretty in Pink, a foundation that helps people diagnosed with breast cancer who have limited or no health insurance.

On the evening of Friday, Oct. 14, Drs. White, Kays, Church and Morgan bartended to raise money. Ten percent of food sales during that time period also went to Pretty in Pink. The event drew in a large crowd consisting of breast cancer survivors, spouses and other family members, and supporters wanting to contribute to the cause.

“During breast cancer awareness month, we were approached by a local ad agency to allow the doctors at Wilmington Plastic Surgery to do a celebrity bartender night,” said Alderson. “The four doctors that own Wilmington Plastic Surgery were allowed to work behind the bar, keep tips, solicit donations from guests and even participate in a wing-eating contest. The bartenders on duty donated their personal tips to the doctors also.”

Guests at the event could also buy tickets for a raffle, which included a prize of dinner for six on board a luxury yacht owned by one of the doctors.

More than $6,000 was collected for local breast cancer patients during the Oct. 14 fundraiser where the doctors acted as BWW® bartenders for several hours.

Alderson joked that the doctors had so much fun it was “hard to get the doctors out from behind the bar.” He added that one doctor mentioned having a new appreciation for what bartenders do after working a shift behind the bar.

The fundraiser collected over $6,000 for the Pretty in Pink Foundation. All money raised by Pretty in Pink stays in the Wilmington community for local breast cancer patients.

AMPAL Group Opens New B-Dubs Restaurant in Marlboro, New Jersey

ampal1 AMPAL Group hosted a grand opening event Oct. 15-16 to celebrate the company’s latest BWW^® location situated in Marlboro, New Jersey.

On Oct. 15, the day before the official grand opening, the restaurant sponsored an invite-only VIP party where those in attendance included the local police department, fire department and mayor’s office. All three groups were treated to a free meal.

Alcohol sales from the night, which totaled over $2,500, were donated to JDRF, a charity committed to education and research for type 1 diabetes.

“AMPAL Group is very excited to bring the Buffalo Wild Wings^® experience to Marlboro, New Jersey, and to join this dynamic community,” said franchisee Amit Patel. “We had a great opening and look forward to continued success in Marlboro.”

As part of the celebration, AMPAL Group provided the first 100 customers to attend the grand opening with a coupon book featuring free wings for a year. The company also gave the first five guests a $50 BWW gift card.

ampal6 As a result, guests started lining up around 6 p.m. in order to save their spot for the 11 a.m. opening the next day. There were roughly 100 patrons lined up by midnight and around 180 by the time the restaurant opened.

Employees kept the B-Dubs^® fans entertained throughout the night by playing games such as slapshot, KanJam and corn hole and hosted a competition for the longest football throw, as well as a free throw contest. Employees also gave away prizes, including coolers, T-shirts, headphones, corn hole sets and tailgating chairs.

The location treated guests to a Dunkin’ Donuts breakfast the following morning and hosted a Blazin’ Challenge, in which 10 people participated, at 9 a.m. on the morning of the grand opening.

The local high school band, cheerleaders and dance team came out to sup
port and cheer on the Marlboro mayor for the ribbon-cutting.