Michael Ansley Receives Founders Award

Michael Ansley, president and chief executive officer of Diversified Restaurant Holdings, Inc. (DRH), the largest franchisee for Buffalo Wild Wings^®, and the creator and operator of Bagger Dave’s Burger Tavern^®, recently received Buffalo Wild Wings’ 2015 Franchise Founders Award. The award recognizes a franchisee owner or executive who has displayed enthusiasm, teamwork, leadership and an entrepreneurial spirit throughout the year.

BWW Chief Executive Officer Sally Smith presented the award to Ansley during the Buffalo Wild Wings annual Business Conference in Orlando. Unbeknownst to Ansley, Smith made the official announcement a surprise during the Awards Banquet Dinner on the conference’s closing night, Wednesday, Feb. 2.

Ansley graduated from the University of Dayton in December 1993. While there, he worked in marketing for DAP, Inc. The time as a cooperative student allowed him to help pay for college while gaining real-life work experience. “I must have done well at DAP because they hired me out of college in sales,” Ansley added. He then went on to open his own business alongside his college roommate, Jim Womac; his father, Bob Womac; and Ansley’s own father, Tom Ansley. The group’s first endeavor was a Buffalo Wild Wings franchised restaurant in Ypsilanti, Michigan, that would eventually open in August 1996.

After three years, the Ansleys left that business entity to open the Sterling Heights, Michigan, BWW in December 1999, the first restaurant developed under the DRH umbrella. The company now operates 62 locations in five states with 15 more locations to develop by 2021. Ansley says what attracted him most to the BWW brand was the brand’s cult following he saw in Ohio and its being the “first mover” in a new category of restaurant. However, he maintains his favorite aspect of the brand is the people and pace. “I’ve met great people through BWW – from employees, to fellow franchisees, people in our restaurants and at BWW Corporate – it’s a great team,” Ansley continued. “Speaking of team, I am honored to have received this award, but I genuinely feel that this award recognizes the great work done by our entire team at Diversified Restaurant Holdings.”

Outside of running DRH, Ansley supports various organizations, including the Children’s Leukemia Foundation of Michigan, Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Oakland County, the Michigan Restaurant Association and other charitable work that DRH volunteers for in other markets. When he is not involved in these functions, he enjoys spending time with his three children, all under 9 years old, and his wife Kate. Ansley also enjoys traveling, golfing – when he can find the time – as well as working out in a CrossFit gym three days a week.

Although his schedule is robust, Ansley shows no signs of slowing down in his endeavors with DRH. The company has won a number of awards from Buffalo Wild Wings in the past several years, including the 2014 Franchise Founder’s Award for Jason Curtis, DRH Chief Operating Officer and the 2014 Franchisee of the Year and Operator of the Year.