Most Americans have only 30 to 40 minutes for lunch from the time they arrive to the time they leave, according to research from Buffalo Wild Wings.
So the Minneapolis-based restaurant chain announced the B-Dubs Fast Break lunch guarantee, which offers a free meal and soda drink if the food isn't delivered within 15 minutes of ordering.
"We want to prove to our guests that they can get the Buffalo Wild Wings experience they have come to know and love within the limited time they have for a traditional lunch break," said Todd Kronebusch, vice president of food and beverage for Buffalo Wild Wings.
The offer runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays for parties of six or fewer.
Servers will start a timer when they leave the table with the order and pick it up when food is delivered. Select items are part of the guarantee, including seven entrees (like the Southwest Philly sandwich, Street Tacos, Chicken Buffalito, and Honey BBQ Chicken Salad) and seven sides (like soup, fries, salads). Customers can also choose snack and small portion sizes of boneless chicken wings with fries.
Buffalo Wild Wings began testing the concept in April in select markets.
Guarantees are proliferating as consumers raise expectations about faster food. Pizza Hut and Chipotle have also experimented with precise times for food delivery either in-house or for pickup. Locally, the Minneapolis-based Bite Squad restaurant delivery service allows customers to track an order and the driver all the way to their location.
Buffalo Wild Wings has 900 U.S. restaurants and 1,190 worldwide, with sales exceeding $1.5 billion. It 17 locations in the Twin Cities.
John Ewoldt • 612-673-7633