Buffalo Wild Wings Joins Growing Flock

There’s a wing war afoot, and Mississauga’s providing the turf. The popular American chain, Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar, has just announced plans to feather a new northern nest (its second, since its Oshawa location—the first Buffalo Wild Wings Canadian franchise—launched in mid May) in Meadowvale. The Mississauga restaurant is slated to open in the Highway 401 and Winston Churchill Blvd. area some time in late October or early November. This announcement takes flight fast on the tail pins of another wing restaurant’s Mississauga migration. Earlier this year, Wacky Wings Eatery, Beverage and Sports Co. took up residence at Playdium (at Dundas St. E., west of Dixie Rd.), with a sprawling 16,000-sq.-ft. restaurant and sports bar.  Buffalo Wild Wings, which has more than 750 locations in the States, made a name for itself with its Buffalo-style chicken wings, 15 signature sauces and four dry seasonings. Everyone gets such exotica as Caribbean jerk and mango habanero, but Canada will be unique for its honey garlic sauce option. The company has plans to expand its Canadian presence with restaurant openings scheduled for Guelph and Newmarket later this year, and it expects to be pulling in some $150 million in annual sales in this country in five years’ time. Wacky Wings, meanwhile, is a Sault Sainte Marie-based operation that will open its fourth location (in Sudbury; the other two are in the Sault) this summer. This place is celebrated for serving up more than 100 flavours of its signature dish. And add to the coop the high-flown presence of Wild Wing, yet another wing-war competitor (this one an Aurora-based chain whose more than 90 locations are currently engaged in a legal battle with Buffalo Wild Wings over the right to use the "Wild Wings" name in Canada).  Let us watch the feathers fly.