Bobby Pancake
Entrepreneur and Franchisee of Buffalo Wild Wings Restaurants (6 locations in DE/MD)
For Pancake it all started with a part-time job as a cook and chicken cutter at a local KFC franchise in his native West Virginia. He ultimately spent 10 years with KFC working his way up to Regional Manager. A five-year stint as Senior Director of Company Operations for Roasters Corporation, the franchisor for Kenny Rogers Roasters, followed before the critical move to Cincinnati in 1997 to join Buffalo Wild Wings. While at BWW, Inc., he was promoted to Sr. Director of Company Operations and oversaw 80 restaurants in 13 states and reported directly to the company’s CEO Sally Smith.
Bobby met Steve Wheat while working for Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. Steve was the Local Store Marketing Manager. They spent many business trips discussing their dream of starting their own restaurant and developing their business plan. At the time, the franchise was in the process of transitioning from a local wing joint targeting college campuses to today’s national model of a suburban, family-oriented sports bar and grill. In 2003, the pair were introduced to Thom Kreusch, a developer and serial entrepreneur from Dayton, OH., and decided to partner up and become franchisees of the growing brand.
Their timing was perfect. In the past 13 years Buffalo Wild Wings has grown from less than 50 restaurants to more than 800 locations today. Pancake and Wheat (High 5, LLC) own the development rights for the entire state of Delaware and three counties in Maryland.
Success has not been without its adversities. Within six weeks of opening the first restaurant, Mr. Kreusch died unexpectedly. It was a huge personal setback for the entrepreneurs.
Since opening in 2004, the Delaware restaurants have shown sales increases every year and have expanded to 450 employees. Not bad, considering Pancake and Wheat introduced the Buffalo Wild Wings brand with the first restaurant on the East Coast. High 5, LLC now owns six Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar franchises in Bear, Middletown, Dover, Newark and Wilmington, DE and Bel Air, Md.
They have received accolades for their accomplishments along the way. In 2005, they were named New Franchisee of the Year by BWW, Inc. In 2009, Bobby received the Founders Award from Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc., recognizing the individual who best personifies the vision, enthusiasm, work ethic and humility of the chain’s late founder Jim Disbrow. The SBA honored High 5, LLC in 2010 as the National Entrepreneur Success Award winner. In June of 2010, on an invitation from President Obama, the business partners traveled to The White House and met with the President to discuss small business. Their most recent recognition came in November, when the Delaware Restaurant Associations named the pair as Restaurateur’s of the Year for 2011.
Bobby serves on the Board of Directors for The Delaware Restaurant Association, New Castle County Chamber of Commerce, Community Hope of America (501c3 Corporation), Project Crossroads (501c3 Corporation) and The Buffalo Wild Wings Leadership Council (BWWLC).
