Buffalo's Cafe
Buffalo's Cafe is an American restaurant brand built around Buffalo-style chicken wings, Southwestern food, franchising, and international co-branded locations.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Buffalo's Cafe is an American casual-dining restaurant chain known primarily for Buffalo-style chicken wings and a broader menu influenced by Southwestern and American café cooking. The business began as a single restaurant in Roswell, Georgia, opened by friends David Hyde and Ralph Perella on October 26, 1985. Perella, an architect with construction experience, designed the original restaurant around a deliberately aged Western café aesthetic, using rustic materials, distressed metal, antiques, memorabilia, and period photographs to create a distinctive environment rather than a conventional fast-food setting. The concept expanded gradually in metropolitan Atlanta before moving into franchising. By 1990, four locations were operating in the Atlanta area, and in 1991 Hyde and Perella began franchising through Buffalo's Franchise Concepts Inc., commonly abbreviated BFCI. The chain reached 35 restaurants by 1995, with locations across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. It had 40 locations by 1998 and opened its first Puerto Rico restaurant that December. During this period, the company pursued ambitious expansion agreements covering the Midwest, Indonesia, and Egypt, although not all proposed growth appears to have materialized. A major repositioning occurred in 2001, when the brand became Buffalo's Southwest Cafe. The new name reflected the addition of Southwestern menu items while retaining Buffalo wings as the signature product. Restaurants also received design updates based on Perella's original visual approach. The chain began international expansion in the Middle East, opening in Kuwait in December 2001 and later developing a location in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It expanded into Indiana in 2003 and evaluated Texas growth, including a proposed Houston location. In 2006, the company introduced Buffalo's Express, a fast-casual format intended to extend the brand into a more convenient and potentially lower-cost operating model. That year also brought a change in control: Perella sold BFCI to Drew Alexander and Shelli Lang. Alexander became president and chief operating officer, while Lang became vice president, secretary, and treasurer; Perella remained involved as a consultant. The chain then had 38 restaurants across ten states, Puerto Rico, and Kuwait. Expansion plans were moderated by the Great Recession. The restaurant reverted to the Buffalo's Cafe name in 2011. In December of that year, Fog Cutter Capital Group, the owner of Fatburger, acquired Buffalo's Cafe and Buffalo's Express. The acquisition supported a broader strategy of combining the chicken-wing concept with Fatburger in co-branded restaurants. A Los Angeles co-branded site opened in 2012, and the format subsequently attracted additional franchisee interest. By September 2013, six such locations had opened and 36 more were reported to be under development. Ownership was transferred within the Fog Cutter structure to FAT Brands in 2017. Buffalo's Express subsequently expanded through international Fatburger partnerships, including Singapore in 2018. The brand's footprint has included standalone and co-branded restaurants in North America, the Middle East, and Asia. Reported locations have included restaurants in Georgia, California, Canada, Kuwait, Riyadh, Doha, the Philippines, Dubai, Malaysia, and Singapore. Buffalo's Cafe therefore operates less as a uniformly distributed national chain than as a franchised and partner-led restaurant platform whose identity is carried by wings, Southwestern flavors, Western décor, and co-branding opportunities.
History
Buffalo's Cafe was established in 1985 by David Hyde and Ralph Perella in Roswell, Georgia. The first restaurant opened on October 26 of that year and used a Western café theme developed by Perella, whose background included architecture and construction. The design emphasized rustic wood, distressed metal, American antiques, memorabilia, and historical photographs. The restaurant's name referred to its signature Buffalo-style chicken wings. The concept initially grew around metropolitan Atlanta. Four restaurants were operating by 1990, and the founders began franchising in 1991 through Buffalo's Franchise Concepts Inc. The chain reached 35 locations by 1995 across several Southeastern states and had 40 locations by 1998. It opened in Puerto Rico in December 1998 and pursued additional development agreements in the Midwest and overseas markets. In 1997, Ray Cabana became president, director, and chief executive of BFCI. In 2000, the company promoted its 46 restaurants through a large advertising campaign featuring a cowboy character. The following year, it changed its name to Buffalo's Southwest Cafe after adding Southwestern dishes to the menu. The restaurants were also refreshed with a design derived from Perella's original concept. International development followed, including a Kuwait restaurant in December 2001 and later a Riyadh project. The company expanded into Indiana in 2003 and considered a first Texas location in Houston. Buffalo's Express was introduced in 2006 as a fast-casual variant. That same year, Perella sold BFCI to Drew Alexander and Shelli Lang. At the time, the system comprised 38 restaurants in ten states, Puerto Rico, and Kuwait, with most locations franchised. The new owners intended to expand Buffalo's Express, but the Great Recession led to the reduction of some growth plans. The company returned to the Buffalo's Cafe name in 2011. Fog Cutter Capital Group, which also owned Fatburger, acquired Buffalo's Cafe and Buffalo's Express that December. The new ownership emphasized the potential of the Middle Eastern market and developed co-branded Fatburger/Buffalo's Express restaurants. A Los Angeles location opened in 2012, and by September 2013 six co-branded restaurants had opened while many more were reportedly being developed. In 2017, ownership moved to FAT Brands. The Buffalo's Express format continued to be used with Fatburger restaurants internationally, including a Singapore opening in 2018. Reported locations have spanned the United States, Canada, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Singapore. The brand's later operating model has therefore combined franchised standalone restaurants with co-branded sites. The brand was also associated with a notable physical-site incident in Hickory, North Carolina. In August 2002, two sinkholes opened in a Buffalo's Southwest Cafe parking lot after unusually heavy rainfall, and a Chevrolet Corvette fell into one of them. The restaurant reopened after repairs in 2003 but later closed in 2004. A further sinkhole appeared in 2005 after a tropical storm. Litigation involving the franchisee, local and state authorities, and prior landowners was settled in 2007; the restaurant was subsequently demolished. The incident was an operational and local property dispute rather than a broad corporate scandal.
- 2018
Buffalo's Express expands to Singapore
[1]A co-branded Fatburger/Buffalo's Express restaurant opens in Singapore.
- 2017
Ownership transfers to FAT Brands
[1]The brand becomes part of FAT Brands within the Fog Cutter corporate structure.
- 2012
First reported Fatburger/Buffalo's Express co-brand opens
[1]A Los Angeles site combines Fatburger and Buffalo's Express.
- 2011
Brand returns to Buffalo's Cafe name
[1]The chain reverts from Buffalo's Southwest Cafe to Buffalo's Cafe.
- 2011
Fog Cutter Capital Group acquires the chain
[1]Fog Cutter Capital Group acquires Buffalo's Cafe and Buffalo's Express.
- 2006
Buffalo's Express launches
[1]A fast-casual restaurant format is introduced.
- 2006
BFCI changes ownership
[1]Drew Alexander and Shelli Lang acquire BFCI from Ralph Perella.
- 2001
Name changes to Buffalo's Southwest Cafe
[1]The company adds Southwestern food and updates the restaurant concept while retaining its wing identity.
- 2001
Kuwait location opens
[1]The chain begins a more visible Middle Eastern presence with a Kuwait restaurant.
- 1998
Puerto Rico entry and 40-location milestone
[1]The system reaches 40 locations and opens its first Puerto Rico restaurant.
Products and positioning
A casual American restaurant brand centered on Buffalo wings and Southwestern-inspired food, differentiated by Western café décor, franchising, international development, and co-branded Fatburger locations.
Signature entrée · 1985
Buffalo-style chicken wings
Buffalo-style chicken wings are the product most closely associated with the brand and provided the name for the original restaurant. They anchor the menu identity across the full-service Buffalo's Cafe concept and the faster Buffalo's Express format.
Casual-dining menu platform · 2001
Southwestern menu
The Southwestern menu was added around the 2001 renaming to Buffalo's Southwest Cafe. It broadened the concept beyond wings with American Southwestern-inspired dishes while preserving the original Buffalo wing positioning.
Fast-casual restaurant concept · 2006
Buffalo's Express
Buffalo's Express is a fast-casual extension introduced in 2006. It was designed to deliver the brand's chicken-centered offer in a more convenient format and later became particularly important in co-branded restaurants with Fatburger.
Co-branded restaurant format · 2012
Fatburger/Buffalo's Express
This format combines Buffalo's Express chicken and wing offerings with Fatburger's burger menu in one restaurant. It became a major development vehicle after Fog Cutter Capital Group acquired both businesses and was used in North American and international markets.
Marketing campaigns
- 2000Cowboy spokesperson promotional campaign
United States
Buffalo's Cafe promoted its 46-restaurant system through a reported million-dollar radio and television campaign built around a family-oriented cowboy character.
Outcome. The campaign is documented as a major promotional effort, but its specific sales impact is not reported.
Brand decisions
2026
Reported FAT Brands bankruptcy and asset saleOtherBackground
The parent company reportedly sought court protection while addressing substantial debt.
Action taken
FAT Brands reportedly filed for Chapter 11 protection, followed by a court-approved sale of remaining assets to FBG Bid Co.
Aftermath
The reported transaction included Buffalo's Cafe. The long-term effect on the brand's ownership and operations requires confirmation from primary sources.
Reported asset-sale value. $595 million (June 18, 2026)
2017
Transfer to FAT BrandsM&ABackground
Fog Cutter Capital Group reorganized its restaurant holdings under a dedicated subsidiary structure.
Action taken
Buffalo's Cafe and Fatburger were transferred to FAT Brands.
Aftermath
Buffalo's Cafe continued operating within a multi-brand franchising group.
2012
Development of co-branded Fatburger/Buffalo's Express restaurantsStrategyBackground
The new owner wanted to demonstrate the value of combining its burger and chicken concepts for franchisees.
Action taken
A Los Angeles restaurant was opened as a co-branded showcase, followed by additional sites and development agreements.
Aftermath
The format expanded in the United States and internationally, including Singapore.
2011
Acquisition by Fog Cutter Capital GroupM&ABackground
Fog Cutter Capital Group already owned Fatburger and viewed Buffalo's Cafe as a platform with expansion potential, particularly in the Middle East.
Action taken
Fog Cutter acquired Buffalo's Cafe and Buffalo's Express.
Aftermath
The acquisition enabled the development of combined Fatburger and Buffalo's Express restaurants.
2006
Launch of Buffalo's ExpressProduct launchBackground
The company sought to extend its restaurant platform beyond the traditional casual-dining format.
Action taken
It introduced Buffalo's Express as a fast-casual concept.
Aftermath
The concept later became part of co-branded Fatburger/Buffalo's Express restaurants.
2001
Rebrand as Buffalo's Southwest CafeStrategyBackground
The company had added Southwestern food items to a concept historically identified with Buffalo-style wings.
Action taken
It changed the chain's name to Buffalo's Southwest Cafe and refreshed the restaurant design.
Aftermath
The brand later reverted to Buffalo's Cafe in 2011.
Recent events
FAT Brands announces Congo development deal for Fatburger and Buffalo’s Express[2]
FAT Brands announced a multi-unit development deal with NAIA SARL Ltd. to bring Fatburger and Buffalo’s Express to the Democratic Republic of Congo for the first time, with five locations planned within the next few years.
Reported
FAT Brands partners with Epic Kitchens in Chicago[3]
FAT Brands expanded its ghost-kitchen operation through a partnership with Epic Kitchens in Chicago. Fatburger, Buffalo’s Express and Hurricane Grill & Wings menus would be prepared at an Epic Kitchens-operated facility for delivery in Chicago.
Sources3 sources
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