Origin: The company launched its chicken wing-themed concept in 1982 in Columbus, Ohio, near the Ohio State University campus. It was originally known as Buffalo Wild Wings & Weck.

Growth: Wild Wings started offering franchises in 1991, accelerating its growth, and completed an initial public offering to become a publicly traded company in 2003.

Locations: There are more than 1,200 Wild Wings locations, about half company owned and half franchised. The company has restaurants in all 50 states.

International: Beyond the United States, there are restaurants in Canada, Mexico, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Panama.

Financials: Growth has slowed in recent years, but sales were still up 10 percent last year to just under $2 billion. The company reported net income of $94.7 million.

Source: Buffalo Wild Wings