BWW

“Are you ready?”

“It’s only 10 am.” I whined to my husband.

Smart man didn’t say anything. He just stood by the front door with his jacket and hat on ready to go.

“Okay, Okay” I’m ready. I whined some more. It was my husband’s birthday, and since that is what he wanted to do; I’d tag along.

We had only been to Buffalo Wild Wings once before; and that was on vacation in Sierra Vista Arizona. We just happened in on .59 cent wing night. The wings were great and there was enough visual entertainment to make an ADD person go crazy. We loved the place. Back home, we read in the newspaper one was being built in our local area we were exciting about going back.

It was opening morning at Buffalo Wild Wings. It was also the end of a long weekend. As we pulled up that Monday Holiday Day, the parking lot was already filled and there was a line. Yes, a line. It appeared as if people had been there awhile since they had sleeping bags, blankets, lawn chairs. It was a brisk 27 degrees that morning so I could understand the blankets, but lawn chairs??

Reluctantly, we got in line. I wish I had my gloves. It was 30 minutes before the store was scheduled to open. Looking around at the long line, it also appeared we were the oldest people in line. Odd. Only college kids eat chicken wings at 11 am??

Lucky for my cold, icy hands the restaurant opened 10 minutes early and the line moved quickly. We were in the lobby within 20 minutes. A gentleman dressed in black was standing at the open door with a box in his hands. As we approached, he looked in his box and told us he had just a couple more coupons. Coupons? I like coupons. I said thanks as he handed me a coupon book. I was going to tell my husband we only need one coupon book but he was asking for his book. Odd. Since when has my husband actually asked for a coupon? Much less a book of them? The college kid in line behind us seems totally disappointed (or his words bummed) that we got the remaining coupons. What is it about these coupons?

We were ushered to our bar seat table. I wanted to be as far as possible from the front door and the constant cold. I wanted some feeling back into my hands again. Our waitress came by to explain the specials and the menu when she noticed our coupons on the table. She stated she wasn’t quite sure how those worked, but do we want to use them now? Sure. She asked how we wanted our twelve wings.

After placing our order of a plate of wings and being distracted by the the twenty thousand televisions, I opened the coupon book. Very simple coupons. Not a discount thing, not a buy one-get-one-free type of deal, but simple in that it six wings a week a year. No purchase necessary. The coupons are dated….once the week is over the coupon is expired. I asked one of the regional trainers about the coupons. He explained the company started that as a promotion when a Buffalo Wild Wings would open and they’d advertise in the newspaper the free wings each week for a year, until it turned in people camping out for days. The company didn’t withdraw the promotion, they just stopped advertising.

Looks like I have a date with my husband once a week for a year. Sorry to the college kids behind us who didn’t get the free wings every week for a year. You should have set your alarm clock.

And Thanks Buffalo Wild Wings; you may get sick of me.