East Memphis is about to get a one-stop shop for caffeine and chicken. A compact Buffalo Wild Wings Go is being built inside the Dunkin at 5150 Poplar Avenue, where franchisee Kamlesh Patel is adding a takeout-focused wings operation to ride the shop’s steady morning crowd later in the day.
The remodel has been hard to miss for anyone grabbing a coffee on Poplar. The setup is designed so the doughnut and coffee rush can rule the early hours, then share the space with a wings-and-sauce operation geared toward carryout and delivery once the workday moves along.
According to What Now Memphis, Patel is helming the Buffalo Wild Wings Go project, which will occupy the Poplar Avenue Dunkin site. The Daily Memphian noted in its Food Files roundup that construction is already underway and that ownership is aiming to have the Go unit open sometime this summer.
What Is Buffalo Wild Wings Go?
Buffalo Wild Wings Go is the chain’s compact, off-premise-first version of its full-size sports bar, tailored for pickup and delivery instead of lingering over a game. Inspire Brands describes it as an inline or endcap format, typically around 1,500 to 1,700 square feet, set up for shopping centers with strong anchors and easy access for delivery drivers.
The streamlined concept trims down the dining area but keeps the core menu focused on wings, sauces, and sides. Buffalo Wild Wings itself traces its roots back to a single Ohio location that opened in 1982, according to company filings on the SEC website.
Why It Makes Sense On Poplar
Industry reporting shows Buffalo Wild Wings has been pushing hard on the Go format nationwide, marking its 100th takeout-centric shop and signing hundreds more commitments. The smaller footprint and shorter build-out times make it a natural fit next to quick-service anchors such as Dunkin, where operators and analysts say Go units can open faster and slot neatly into inline or endcap retail spaces. Restaurant Dive detailed the chain’s expansion and why the format has appealed to franchisees.
For Poplar Avenue regulars, the combo should mean coffee and doughnuts in the morning, then wings and fries waiting for pickup on the way home, all without dramatically changing Dunkin’s existing footprint. As What Now Memphis noted, ownership has been contacted for more details and plans to share additional information as it becomes available.
So far, there is no firm opening date beyond the general goal of this summer, with permits and construction likely to dictate the exact timeline. Local observers will be watching public filings and window signage for a confirmed launch, and updates are expected once the company announces an official opening day.
