Buffalo Wild Wings Moving to Old Franklin Hotel
Sports bar one of several tenants announced this morning
Photos
Old Franklin Hotel developer Ron Burbick announced at this morning's Bowman Breakfast that Buffalo Wild Wings will be one of the building's first tenants following its restoration.
The Kent sports bar will occupy the first floor, second floor and mezzanine in the five-story downtown landmark. Burbick hinted at the fact a Kent franchise restaurant would occupy the space in an early March interview with Kent Patch. The restaurant is currently located on Franklin Avenue.
Burbick said the third floor office space will be home to Marathon Financial Services and the Kent Area Chamber of Commerce. He said the fourth floor will be home to veteran's transitional apartments, and the fifth floor will feature luxury apartments.
Read the full story here on Kent Patch.
In This article
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B W 3
176 E Main St, Kent, OH -
Marathon Financial Services
141 E Main St, Kent, OH (Suite 201) -
Kent Area Chamber of Commerce
138 E Main St Ste 102, Kent, OH -
David Badagnani
10:00 am on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
What will be in the basement, where the bar used to be?
Matt Fredmonsky
10:05 am on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Stay tuned. The full story will be up later today.
Drew
10:21 am on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
meh. Was hoping for something new and/or independent.
What I'd really like to see in Kent is a brewpub - the success of 101Bottles and Riverside (and take a look at the taplist at Ray's) prove that this town enjoys craftbeer.
Or, how about a Mellow Mushroom - they seem to do well in college towns. Yeah, I know, we have a couple dozen pizza places, but a sit-down pizza restaurant would be nice
Le'ah Keturah-Sarah Krzywkowski
8:51 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
O wow. A brew pub sounds excellent! I love regionally crafted beers and ale. Something also nice--- mead! Mmmm..... That could be a classy edition befitting a former hotel. Just jiving with B Dub's though....
Le'ah Keturah-Sarah Krzywkowski
8:52 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
I meant to type * just NOT jiving with b-dubs
Paxton Crenshaw
10:50 am on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
ha - this will will be very much in keeping with the "historic certification" bestowed upon it by kent council a few weeks back.
Paxton Crenshaw
10:52 am on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
and i can't wait to see how the buffalo wild wings sign translates to maroon and gilded-gold, which burbick seems to use for every storefront.
maggie kelling
11:19 am on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Gee I was hoping for something more elegant, befitting a historic hotel.
Chris (Kit) Myers
11:50 am on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
This news is nothing short of fantastic.
John Williams
3:39 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Buffalo Wild Wings wouldn't be my first choice, but I'm glad that tenants have been found so quickly for the old hotel. This opens up the current Buffalo Wild Wings location to a new restaurant or to redevelopment.
Jon Ridinger
11:26 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
That's what I'm thinking too regarding development. The current Buffalo Wild Wings is a small building and is next to that awful gravel lot that used to be a bar and behind the soon-to-be-vacant courthouse, so there could be some definite redevelopment possibilities there. Plus, Buffalo Wild Wings has a major Kent connection: the founders (Jim Disbrow and Scott Lowery) came up with the idea while living in Kent.
Matt Fredmonsky
12:43 am on Thursday, April 5, 2012
Jon, it's rare but I have to dispute you on two counts; though one may change. As a former employee of BW3's, I had to memorize the fact that the founders came up with the idea and opened the first store in Columbus near Ohio State University, not Kent. And the owners of the law offices adjacent to that gravel lot, which the city will get when it swaps land for the courthouse, have said they have no plans to sell or move from that building, so that would be an impediment to redeveloping that corner. Plus, council members and city administrators took part in the land swap with the county for the courthouse with the implied intent of saving the building for new use. I agree, there are still lots of possibilities, but don't expect a wholesale demolition and reconstruction in that corner of that block.
Jon Ridinger
3:14 am on Friday, September 14, 2012
Well, here we are 5 months later and I stumbled upon this article again looking for something else. If you go to the Buffalo Wild Wings website or read a current menu at any location (I read it in Valparaiso, Indiana just this week), the story about the idea coming in Kent is mentioned (the founders had "recently transplanted to Kent, Ohio"). The first store wasn't in Kent but the idea of a Buffalo wing restaurant came while they were in Kent. Go to www.buffalowildwings.com and at the bottom right click on "About BWW" and then "Our story". Another more detailed version (which simply states they were in Kent at the time in 1981) is located at http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/buffalo-wild-wings-inc-history/
Not sure how you disputed me on the second count. I never stated I expect some kind of whole-scale demolition of the block. I stated that the current BWW being vacant next to the soon-to-be-vacant courthouse (owned by the city and thus being a revenue drain) *could* lead to some redevelopment possibilities. That could be collectively, but also individually. Redevelopment doesn't mean clearing the whole block (though it could).
Paxton Crenshaw
9:29 am on Friday, September 14, 2012
nah-nah-nee-nah-nah.....i'm always right...told you so, told you so... - how simply insufferable.
Matt Fredmonsky
8:18 am on Friday, September 14, 2012
Touché.