Anchor Bar: The Original Buffalo Wing Franchise

Anchor Bar is a legendary American restaurant franchise renowned for inventing the Buffalo wing in 1964. Founded in 1935 by Frank and Teressa Bellissimo in Buffalo, New York, the brand rose to fame when Teressa served the first batch of spicy chicken wings to her son’s friends. This simple dish became a culinary sensation, cementing Anchor Bar's status as the home of the original Buffalo wing.

The franchise began expanding in 2011 under Anchor Bar Franchise & Development, LLC. It is headquartered at 651 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, New York.

Today, Anchor Bar operates over 20 locations across the United States and Canada, with ambitious plans for continued growth.

Anchor Bar’s menu features its famous Buffalo wings, as well as pizzas, burgers, salads, and regional favorites like beef on weck. The restaurants provide a welcoming, family-friendly environment with a sports bar atmosphere. Its legacy as the originator of Buffalo wings gives the brand a strong competitive edge in the casual dining space.

Training

Anchor Bar provides structured training to equip franchisees and their staff with the knowledge necessary to operate their restaurants efficiently and according to brand standards. The training is a key component of the franchise onboarding process and supports consistent operational quality across locations.

1. Initial Training Program: Anchor Bar offers initial training at no cost for up to three individuals from the franchisee’s team, provided they attend simultaneously. This training typically includes both classroom instruction and on-the-job practice covering restaurant operations, customer service, food preparation, and brand standards.
2. Additional or Replacement Training: If a franchisee wishes to train more than three individuals or replace previously trained staff, the franchisor may charge a training fee. This also applies if the franchisor requires further training due to performance issues or updates in operational procedures.
3. Ongoing and Refresher Training: Anchor Bar reserves the right to mandate additional training sessions for the franchisee or staff as needed over time. These may be subject to fees and are designed to ensure continued compliance with quality standards and integration of system-wide updates.

Territory Protection

Anchor Bar provides limited territory protection to its franchisees. The franchise agreement does not guarantee an exclusive territory, meaning that the franchisor may establish or license other Anchor Bar outlets nearby.

However, franchisees are granted a Designated Area, which typically provides some informal territorial rights based on market size, demographic considerations, and the number of existing locations.

Despite the lack of formal exclusivity, Anchor Bar retains the flexibility to open company-owned or franchised outlets, authorize non-traditional venues, and conduct e-commerce or other distribution methods within a franchisee’s region.