• Cincinnati Enquirer, Tuesday, January 26, 2010 10:51 AM

Roger David, who has a history of building and launching successful brands, took over as president of Buffalo Wings & Rings four months ago. The casual dining chain has expanded from six regional restaurants to 55 in 14 states since 2005 but the partners decided they needed to fine-tune operations to increase sales and expand further, Laura Baverman reports.

The company has begun a brand overhaul, analyzing everything from franchisee selection to the number of TVs to the technology used for order taking, she writes. "We're taking a fresh, innovative, 'anything is possible' mind-set to the brand," says David, who maintains that the key to success is creating a better experience for customers.

Part of Buffalo Wings & Rings' success to date is that people have felt comfortable hanging out, "like what Starbucks has tried to do with coffee," says Eric Giandelone, director of research for Mintel Food Service. The restaurants typically have a large bar, game machines and as many as 30 high-definition televisions. "The longer you can get people to stay, the more likely they are to order another beer or another round of fries," says Giandelone.

Read the whole story at Cincinnati Enquirer »