New Buffalo Wild Wings GO eatery in Nassau focuses on smaller, takeout-focused concept

Restaurant chain Buffalo Wild Wings GO has opened its first quick-service location in Nassau County, part of the wing slinging business' newer strategy of opening smaller, takeout-focused locations across the country, its local franchisee said.

The new restaurant, at 2760 Sunrise Hwy. in Bellmore, opened April 14 and is Long Island’s third. The national chicken wing chain opened its first takeout location on the Island last year in Shirley. It also has a location in Patchogue that opened in early February, Buffalo Wild Wings confirmed.

Besides offering convenience, the new location offers a “smaller footprint” — roughly 1,500 square feet — that is ideal for finding potential expansion opportunities, said Jack Litman, franchise owner of the Bellmore location and president of the Munson Restaurant Group, based in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Litman said the group has implemented “some efficiencies with the smaller footprint.”

The Bellmore site is the seventh Buffalo Wild Wings GO franchise operated by the Munson Group in the tristate area, Litman said. The company operates 19 full-service Buffalo Wild Wing restaurants across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, including locations in Hicksville, Garden City and Valley Stream.

GO locations feature a slightly pared down menu, fewer TVs, a walk-up ordering counter and some seating for those who choose to eat in.

Litman said while no additional Buffalo Wild Wings GO locations are in the works for Long Island, the franchise is looking for more sites.

“Nothing has met the perfect criteria yet, but we’re looking to build a couple more units in the Nassau area,” Litman said.

Analysts with restaurant industry researcher Technomic said Buffalo Wild Wings GO restaurants have sprung up in quick succession since being launched in 2020.

GO locations in the United States hit 140 at the end of last year, up from 79 at the end of 2023 and 41 locations Technomic reported for 2022.

“BWW has generally outperformed the broader casual dining segment in recent years, but the BWW GO concept is surely an effort to try and cash in on some of the strong growth that limited-service chicken chains like Wingstop have seen,” Kevin Schimpf, senior director at Technomic, said in an email. 

Other chains have launched takeout versions of their sit-down offerings, including Outback Steakhouse and its Aussie Grill, or Hooters' Hoots, but have had limited success, Schimpf said.   

"Restaurants are continually seeking new ways to offer convenience, and ‘to-go’ options are proving to be a strong fit, especially in today’s fast-paced world,” Chad Moutray, chief economist for the National Restaurant Association, said Monday in a statement to Newsday.

“Expanding ‘to-go’ offerings is a smart way to boost sales and broaden brand reach, while providing consumers with the convenience they expect,” said Moutray, who also serves as the association’s senior vice president of research and knowledge.

Buffalo Wild Wings ended 2024 with 1,183 domestic restaurants, down from 1,185 in 2023, according to Technomic. The company, which had previously been publicly traded, was purchased by Roark Capital Group-backed Inspire Brands in 2018 for a reported $2.9 billion. Inspire Brands is the company behind fast food sandwich chain Arby's.