Franchise opportunities compared

    Buffalo Wild Wings vs Perkins

    Reviewed figures from each brand's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), side by side. Each figure carries its FDD year and page. This is not a ranking or recommendation, and the two FDDs may cover different years and location groups.

    Initial investment · Item 7

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    $31,200 – $4,500,320

    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Perkins

    $579,390 – $3,581,375

    2025 FDD · Item 7

    Initial franchise fee · Item 5

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    Not available

    Perkins

    $40,000

    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 16

    Royalty · Item 6

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    5%

    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31

    Perkins

    4%

    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19

    Before you compare

    • Buffalo Wild Wings figures come from its 2026 FDD and Perkins figures from its 2025 FDD, so the years differ.
    • Buffalo Wild Wings and Perkins disclose more than one business format, so the investment range spans formats; the full report breaks them out.
    • Item 19 figures cover the location groups each FDD names (Buffalo Wild Wings: 12, Perkins: 9). Different groups are not directly comparable.

    Financial commitment

    Estimated initial investment (Item 7)

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    $31,200 – $4,500,320
    2026 FDD · Item 7

    Perkins

    $579,390 – $3,581,375
    2025 FDD · Item 7
    Standard initial franchise fee (Item 5)

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    Not available
    No single standard fee identified

    Perkins

    $40,000
    2025 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 16
    Royalty (Item 6)

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    5%
    Royalty grosssales
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31

    Perkins

    4%
    Royalty rate
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19
    Brand / advertising fund (Item 6)

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    $15,000
    Opening advertising
    2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 29

    Perkins

    1%
    Advertising fund contribution low — 1%
    2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 25

    System scale & health

    Total outlets (Item 20)

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    219
    Outlets at end of 2025
    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 81

    Perkins

    Not available
    No reviewed outlet counts
    Net outlet change (Item 20)

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    −966
    Calculated: 1,185 at end of 2023 → 219 at end of 2025

    Perkins

    Not available
    Only one year reported
    Outlet exits (Item 20)

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year

    Perkins

    Not available
    No complete exit records for a year
    Franchising since (Item 1)

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    1992
    From a verified franchisor listing

    Perkins

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records
    Franchisor founded (Item 1)

    Buffalo Wild Wings

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Perkins

    Not available
    Not in reviewed records

    Financial performance (Item 19), by location group

    Buffalo Wild Wings
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 1st Quartile of Full-year franchised Sports Bars, including4nontraditional; no…
    $4,875,869
    other 1st Quartile
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 79
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 2nd Quartile of Full-year franchised Sports Bars, including4nontraditional; no…
    133 units
    other 2nd Quartile
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 79
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — 3rd Quartile of Full-year franchised Sports Bars, including4nontraditional; no…
    133 units
    other 3rd Quartile
    2026 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 79
    +9 more groups in the full report
    Perkins
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Table 1 Perkins Total System — 2024
    $247
    other Table 1 Perkins Total System
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 78
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Table 2 Perkins Franchised Restaurants — 2024
    $4,240,320
    other Table 2 Perkins Franchised Restaurants
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 78
    Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Table 5 Perkins Franchised Restaurants — 2023
    $187
    other Table 5 Perkins Franchised Restaurants
    2025 FDD · Item 19 · PDF p. 79
    +6 more groups in the full report

    Item 19 groups are shown separately and never combined. Revenue or sales figures are not profit. Net outlet change and turnover are Franopolis calculations from the disclosed counts; turnover is a count-based rate, not a measure of owner earnings.

    Buffalo Wild Wings vs Perkins: common questions

    Which costs less to open, Buffalo Wild Wings or Perkins?
    Buffalo Wild Wings: $31,200 – $4,500,320 (2026 FDD · Item 7); Perkins: $579,390 – $3,581,375 (2025 FDD · Item 7). These are each franchisor's Item 7 estimated initial investment. The low end of the disclosed estimate is lower for Buffalo Wild Wings. At least one range spans several business formats. Estimates are not quotes, and the FDD years may differ.
    How do Buffalo Wild Wings and Perkins royalties compare?
    Buffalo Wild Wings: 5% (2026 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 31); Perkins: 4% (2025 FDD · Item 6 · PDF p. 19). Royalties as disclosed in Item 6; other recurring fees are listed separately.
    Do Buffalo Wild Wings and Perkins disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Buffalo Wild Wings has reviewed Item 19 figures for 12 location groups; Perkins has reviewed Item 19 figures for 9 location groups. Different location groups are not directly comparable, and revenue is not profit.

    Answers restate the reviewed figures above. Not a ranking or recommendation.

    How Franopolis reviews FDD figures

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