Buffalo's Southwest Cafe opens first Indiana location (7/03)

On Monday, Aug. 4, Buffalo's Franchise Concepts Inc. (BFCI), franchisor of Georgia-based Buffalo's Southwest Cafe restaurants, brings its southwestern concept to Greendale, Ind., with the company's first Restaurant in the state. Located at 535 Eads Parkway East, about 10 miles from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, the restaurant opens its doors at 11 a.m. Regular hours of operation will be Sunday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., and Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. For more information, call 812-537-6600.

"Our location is in a new 'hot spot' of development for Greendale and a high-traffic area," said Linda S. Kern, BFCI franchisee and owner of the restaurant.

The restaurant is near Argosy Casino and the Lawrenceburg Speedway, attractions from which Kern expects to draw customers, in addition to attracting traffic from the Lawrenceburg, Bright and Aurora areas in Indiana and from the nearby interstate.

The 5,800-square-foot establishment will seat approximately 300 people and has a separate cantina area and patio. It will employ almost 80 employees. Individuals interested in applying for positions may call the restaurant at 812-537-6600.

A resident of Cincinnati, Kern has been a sergeant for the Cincinnati Police Department for more than 20 years. In 1994, she became president and chief executive officer of Kern Properties Ltd., and Kern Properties II Ltd., where, among other responsibilities, she manages the operation of approximately 70 apartments. The restaurant's general manager is Christopher Dulley, also from Cincinnati. "Linda is an experienced business operator. We are confident that her vision to expand and enhance Greendale's restaurant community will contribute to the restaurant's success," said Ray Cabana, BFCI president and chief executive officer.

Named a "Regional Powerhouse Chain" in 2002 by Nation's Restaurant News, Buffalo's Southwest Cafe 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 restaurant helps tell 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 approximately 50 restaurants in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina and Ohio, with new units under construction. A seven-restaurant development agreement for Las Vegas was recently executed. The company plans to continue its aggressive growth, with expansion predominantly in the Southeast, Southwest and Midwest regions.