Buffalo's Southwest Cafe Expanding to Indiana

Buffalo's Franchise Concepts Inc. (BFCI), franchisor of Buffalo's Southwest Cafe restaurants, has signed a Restaurant Franchise agreement for Greendale, Ind., located on the outskirts of Cincinnati. The Restaurant will be the company's first in Indiana and the fourth unit to date in the Midwest. The franchise agreement was signed with Linda S. Kern, a resident of Cincinnati.

Kern's restaurant, which will break ground next month, is expected to open in July 2003. It will be located at 535 Eads Parkway East, within close proximity to the Argosy Casino. Located about 10 miles from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport, the restaurant will also draw customers from a 20-mile radius around Cincinnati. Like many other Buffalo's Southwest Cafes, it will seat approximately 200 customers.

"I think that Buffalo's will be a good match for Greendale," Kern said. "This community holds many opportunities for development in the restaurant industry."

Kern has been a sergeant for the Cincinnati Police Department for more than 20 years. In 1994, she became president and CEO of Kern Properties Ltd. and Kern Properties II Ltd., where, among other responsibilities, she manages the operation of approximately 70 apartments.

"This development agreement is important for our company as it marks our continued expansion into the Midwest," said Ray Cabana, BFCI president and CEO. "Linda is an experienced business operator whose vision to enhance Greendale?s restaurant community will be a strong match for our team of franchisees."

Buffalo's Southwest Cafe, named a "Regional Powerhouse Chain" in 2002 by Nation's Restaurant News, offers an award-winning menu that includes its world-famous Buffalo-style chicken wings in several taste varieties. Other favorites -- all cooked-to-order -- include steaks, ribs, fajitas, chili, quesadillas, catfish, wraps, burgers and a variety of appetizers. The menu also has homemade soups, salads, sandwiches and desserts. Each Buffalo's Southwest Cafe helps tells the story of the Old Southwest while providing a unique dining experience. With wooden floors and distressed metal ceilings, the restaurants also feature antiques, artifacts, western memorabilia and hundreds of period photographs lining rustic wooden walls. High-back booths, the primary seating, each sport a different theme such as gunslingers, outlaw posters, Indians, lawmen and railroads.

Founded in 1985, Buffalo's Southwest Cafe has 50 restaurants in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina and Ohio, with new units under construction. A seven-restaurant development agreement for Las Vegas was recently executed. The company has two units operating in Puerto Rico and plans to continue its aggressive growth, with expansion predominantly in the Southeast, Southwest and Midwest regions. Buffalo's Southwest Cafe is based in Marietta, GA.