Hundreds gather for Buffalo Wild Wings grand opening
Two sets of brothers, Jayce Ross, top left, Micah Ross, top right, Mason Ross, lower right, and Jesse Brown, bottom center, and Hans Brown, lower left, enjoy the comforts of their home away from home - a TV, Xbox and fast food for breakfast - while waiting for the grand opening of Wild Buffalo Wings Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012, in Lehi. The restaurant promised free wings for one year to the first 100 customers through the door. The boys had been holding their spot since Friday. The parking lot, full of other young hopefuls awaiting Monday's bumrush, was dotted with tents, trash and makeshift firepits. JORDAN STEAD / Daily Herald
Camper Blake Laing, 16, cleans out his tent after a night's wait for the grand opening of a Wild Buffalo Wings restaurant on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012, in Lehi. JORDAN STEAD / Daily Herald
Jared Kemp, center, chats on his cellphone in the early hours of the morning while Kyle Elliott, right, tries to keep warm while waiting for the grand opening of a Wild Buffalo Wings restaurant on Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012, in Lehi. JORDAN STEAD / Daily Herald
From left, clockwise, friends Daniel Assisott, in orange, Jonathan Bryant, Christopher Searle, Matt Erickson, Aidan Gafinski, Stayton Gray and Christian Meyer warmed their hands around a morning campfire while waiting for the grand opening of Wild Buffalo Wings Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012, in Lehi. The restaurant promised free wings for one year to the first 100 customers through the door. The boys had been holding their spot since Friday. "We've travelled to Idaho and Las Vegas over the last two years for Wild Buffalo openings," Searle said. "This restaurant is awesome." JORDAN STEAD / Daily Herald
LEHI — Envision men dressed in warm winter gear in a tent village, generators set up for heaters and entertainment equipment, and you have either late season hunting camp or the scene outside a Buffalo Wild Wings Bar and Grill grand opening.
More than 100 adults, most in their early 20s and several of them university students, were camped out in the parking lot at 92 N. 1200 East in Monday’s early hours. Some of the men and one woman had been there since Friday, camped out for the chance to win a year’s supply of Buffalo Wild Wings’s menu specialty, its wings.
The response to the grand opening extravaganza wasn’t too much of a surprise for Buffalo Wild Wings regional manager Jay Dowd.
“We always get a good turnout, but this turnout was especially good,” Dowd said.
He didn’t appear worried though, saying there are many thousands of wings in the kitchen waiting to be grilled and devoured.
Fondly nicknamed “B-Dubs,” the restaurant has a diehard following across the continental United States and is one of the top 10 fastest growing restaurant chains in the country. With 6.1 million “likes” on Facebook, it appears the fan base is steadily growing.
By 8:30 a.m. Monday, the camp was gone. The couches they had used were tied up on the cars they came on and tents had been torn down and packed away; Nintendos and footballs used to pass the time were stashed.
“A really great group of people out there,” Dowd said of the early customers. “They helped us get cleaned up. They really did a nice job out there.”
The only noticeable trace left from a temporary camp site was the faint odor of unwashed bodies and dark shadows under the eyes of those in line who had tried to sleep that weekend.
Utah Valley University student Daniel Abbott said he thought he might have slept two hours during the weekend. He said the sacrifice was well worth the pay off.
“We’re gonna get free wings for a year,” Abbott said. “My friend Chris, he’s crazy about buffalo wings.”
The wings are fat and tender — spun and grilled in one of the 17 sauces with names like Asian Zing and Jammin’ Jalapeño.
“They’re delicious,” Christopher Seerle said. “Hands down, the spicy garlic sauce is the best.”
After tents were taken down, staff put out outdoor heaters to help the Buffalo Wild Wings fans keep warm until 10 a.m. when they cut the ribbon and opened the doors. Dowd has seen three such grand openings for B-Dubs.
“I’ve only been with the company a short time, but I love it to death,” he said, describing the restaurant’s atmosphere as fun.
Each opening is marketed much the same way, but events vary in participation.
“It’s the first one in this marketplace. I couldn’t tell you how it’s going to be,” Dowd said of the Lehi restaurant. “And it’s snowing. I am sure all these things are going to come into play.”
Until Monday, Utahns had to trek to Idaho Falls, Denver, Flagstaff or Las Vegas to get a Buffalo Wild Wings fix.
At the restaurant, they serve up food as well as games with a well-rounded menu to appeal to the youngest fan. Salads, wraps, appetizers, a kids menu and desserts add to the speciality items B-Dubs is famous for offering — fried pickles, roasted garlic mushrooms, Buffalo Chips potatoes and hot dog slammers.
There are burgers as well, with names like “Big Jack Daddy” and “Black and Bleu.” Wing Tuesdays are real deal days with wings at 45 cents a piece at the Lehi location. There are also Boneless Thursdays with its 60-cent boneless wings.
The restaurant serves draft, domestic and imported beer, as well as specialty beers, lagers and ales. Cocktails, wines and specialty teas also are available.
Advertised as a sports bar with a relaxed comfortable atmosphere where people can hang out with friends, play trivia and watch their favorite games on one of several big-screen televisions, the restaurant corporation is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn.
Guests at the Buffalo Wild Wings Bar and Grill grand opening included the usual local dignitaries, Chamber of Commerce representatives and family and friends of the employees. Adding to the festive atmosphere, the tired, cold and excited campers were allowed into the restaurant in groups of 10 at a time and each winner was given a coupon booklet for six free wings each week for 12 months.
“I get six wings a week,” said a tired-looking but happy Seerle. “I’ve already got it planned. I love being here.”
Buffalo Wild Wings
92 N. 1200 East, Lehi
Monday through Sunday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m.
Order out: (801) 766-8402
www.buffalowildwings.com
