together and create some
promotion, some excitement
about people coming in to
watch it?”
Janaszek notes that World
Wide Wings does not have
the logo rights to promote the
soccer games but Heineken
does, and by creating promo-
tions centered around that
partnership they can more easily
advertise for certain games.
A LOOK TO THE FUTURE
26
Beer Sales
Continued from page 25
and collegiate football and Budweiser and NFL, but perhaps the
most fruitful partnership for World Wide Wings is that between
Heineken and soccer. “Heineken has a great soccer program.
They are tied in with European soccer and the 2017 International
Championship Cup,” explained Janaszek. “Soccer is a big thing
for us, so how do we take soccer and Heineken and put them
Education and promo-
tions aside, some believe that
the biggest opportunity to
up BWW’s beer game is also
something the brand is currently
struggling with – delivery and
takeout. As more and more
Buffalo Wild Wings customers
are eating at home, the company
has seen a slump in beer sales,
but Janaszek suggests it doesn’t
have to be that way.
World Wide Wings has
been testing beer to go for
several years, and so far, efforts
have been positive. In Portland,
the company has tried selling
both glass and plastic growlers
(which carries a $4 difference),
and in California, where state
laws prohibit growlers, they
have sold bottles to go as part of
takeout packages.
While Janaszek cautions
you still must receive a variance
from corporate and some states
require an additional license, he
believes they are headed in the
right direction. “At the end of
the day, you’re still responsible.
So if you have a delivery guys
who picks up your beers to go
and delivers them, we’re still
responsible because we hold the
license, so that is kind of scary,”
Janaszek explained. “There
are areas that I think we don’t want to go down, but I think it’s
important to test the waters to see how we can maximize it.”
As technology and consumer demand change the dining
experience, they are opening the door with innovation in takeout
and delivery – Buffalo Wild Wings just has to be ready to walk
through it. S
CHRISTINA CANNON is the FBS communications manager. You can
reach Cannon at 678-797-5160 or [email protected].