Wing restaurant eying expansion

Buffalo Wings and Rings is planning to open a restaurant in Springfield. /Contributed

Buffalo Wings and Rings is planning to open a restaurant in Springfield. /Contributed

A Cincinnati-based restaurant chain has plans to open in Springfield, but continues to look for a franchisee to open a location in the city, company officials said Thursday.

Buffalo Wings and Rings has 55 locations in the U.S., including recently opened restaurants in Liberty Twp., and West Chester, said Philip Schram, chief development officer for the company. The company is planning to open a restaurant in Springfield, but has not yet identified a franchisee or a specific location, he said.

MORE RESTAURANT NEWS: New restaurant to open on Upper Valley in Clark County

The chain has continued to grow north of Cincinnati, including locations in Piqua, Lima and Columbus and has plans to open in Clark County although no specific location has been selected.

“If you look 50 to 70 miles around Springfield you start to see the density of restaurants we have all around,” Schram said, “The fact that we’re increasing the density means that eventually we will go to Springfield. We are very committed to this town.”

READ MORE: Bellefontaine sees boom in downtown shops, expects it to continue

The restaurant chain has not had discussions with the city, said Stephen Thompson, code enforcement manager for Springfield.

Schram said the chain is looking for a franchisee, but its also possible they could open a company-owned restaurant if they don’t find the right person. The business is mostly focusing on Bechtle Avenue, he said.

“Very likely we would go where most of the restaurants are located which is in the north portion of the city,” Schram said.

RELATED: Downtown Springfield restaurant completes expansion

Along with locations in the U.S., the chain also operates in the Middle East and plans to have a total of 80 restaurants by the end of this year.

The chain opened in Cincinnati in 1984 and focuses on selling wings, sandwiches, wraps, salads and quesadillas. Schram and his business partners bought the chain in 2005, according to the company’s website.


The Springfield News-Sun will continue to provide unmatched coverage of restaurants and retail in Clark and Champaign counties. For this story, the paper spoke to the chief executive officer of Buffalo Wings and Rings, based in Cincinnati, about expansion plans.

About the Author