Investment Group Bringing Buffalo Wild Wings to Toms River

You have probably seen the commercial. A group of friends are all sitting around a table at a local bar/restaurant, watching the game when one exclaims that the football game on the TV should go into overtime just so they could stick around. The bartender catches wind of this and sets off an elaborate scheme to do just that. The atmosphere looks inviting, the food looks great and the beer looks cold.

Then the logo pops up and the realization sets in that Buffalo Wild Wings, a predominantly Midwestern restaurant chain is nowhere near Toms River.

If plans by franchisee Antsul Group come to pass, however, that will change in about a year. Plans to bring the franchise to the Toms River area are currently in the development stage.

"We're definitely looking to develop there," said Antsul Group President Stephen Sullivan. "It's a great township and it's just a great area. It's an area we've always felt that Buffalo Wild Wings would be perfect for. It's on our radar, and Toms River is definitely where we're looking to go."

The group, which owns the exclusive rights to open five locations in central New Jersey, has been around for nearly 4 years but has already opened two locations in New Jersey so far. The first location in North Brunswick has been open for nearly a year and a half, while the Bridgewater location recently opened on April 18.

There is no concrete schedule for a Toms River Buffalo Wild Wings.

"I know the area very well and I have been looking around [for a location]," said Sullivan. "I have a few different options that I'm considering as far as where we can go. Nothing I'm prepared to announce right now but I'm actively looking. We're looking at anywhere from Route 37 to Hooper Avenue."

Starting in Ohio during 1982, Buffalo Wild Wings and its blend of a family restaurant and a sports bar has since grown rapidly. Listed by Fortune magazine in 2008 and 2009 as one of the "100 Fastest Growing Companies", the expansion of the brand into New Jersey was just a matter of time. Its possible introduction to Toms River, however, is somewhat of a homecoming for Sullivan.

"In the summer, my parents had a house off of Fischer Boulevard, so I would spend my summers in Toms River," said Sullivan. "I know it's a great township. It's a great sports town and we've always felt that Buffalo Wild Wings would be perfect for it."

Typically, a Buffalo Wild Wings features high definition televisions showing all the major sporting events at the time. The Bridgewater locations has 50 televisions and a "megascreen" located behind the bar.

Major and pay-per-view events like Major League Baseball games and UFC bouts are shown all over the dining area. Since it's not specifically a sports bar, patrons of all ages are served.

The menu includes chicken wings with a choice of 16 different sauces with varying degrees of spice and heat.

"It's an experience - it really is. I don't mean to sound cliche but it's a sports experience. Yeah, there are wings, there's cold beer and sports but anybody can deliver that. If you ever come to a Buffalo Wild Wings, it's loud and it's an exciting atmosphere," said Sullivan.

"Kids absolutely love going there. You can have someone who's 50 years old that likes Buffalo Wild Wings and you can have someone who's 30 years old who loves [it]. I think it would be a perfect fit."