Senior Jason Kimmel woke up early Sunday morning, setting up camp at 8 a.m. Three hours later, his six friends followed suit, bringing camping gear, a large tent and plenty of excitement to 1550 E. Wooster St.

And, like the 120 or so people lined up behind them, it was all for a seemingly endless supply of chicken wings. All it took to get those wings was a few friendly games of corn hole and spending a night or two in a restaurant parking lot. After an eight month hiatus, the new Bowling Green Buffalo Wild Wings re-opened Monday in its new location. The restaurant opened at 8 a.m. and welcomed the first 100 people through the door with “Free wings for a year.”

The new site, which seats approximately 400 people, is the only freestanding Buffalo Wild Wings franchise in Northwest Ohio; and, according to franchise owner John Hoschak, it also features the largest audio-visual package in the area with two 14 ft. television screens and 70 other displays.

Also new to the franchise is a private party room that seats more than 40 people, complete with an audio-visual package of its own with nearly eight to 10 displays, Hoschak said.

Kimmel said he and his friends made the decision to camp outside the popular restaurant because they all love Buffalo Wild Wings and the 14 signature sauces unique to the franchise.

“They have sauces no other place has,” Kimmel said. “I’m a big fan of their Teriyaki. They do Teriyaki like no one else does.”

Kendra Hays, marketing director for the franchise, said the new location is not just featuring restaurant favorites; it has 30 different varieties of beer on tap, more than any of the franchise’s other six locations.

After hearing about the wider variety of brews offered by the new location, Kimmel said the award-winning wings were not the only thing keeping him and his friends in line overnight.

“We’ve got a plan to try all 30 beers that they have on tap,” Kimmel said. “I have them all written out on a piece of paper and we’re signing up by what ones we want so between the seven of us, we’re going to try them all.”

Kimmel, his friends and the rest of the line will have a chance to try those beers earlier than normal. For the first day of business back in Bowling Green, Hays said all alcoholic beverages will be available when the restaurant opens at 8 a.m.

“Being that it’s a college town, we figured we’d give it a shot,” Hays said. “For previous openings, we’ve even opened earlier than that.”

For those not fortunate enough to be the 100 in line for a year’s supply of free wings, Hays said other prizes have been given away and will continue to be throughout the week.

“We’ve been giving out swag like T-shirts, key chains … all of that stuff,” she said.

Kailey Carter, University sophomore and new Buffalo Wild Wings server said she has never experienced working a major restaurant opening before, but is very excited about the number of prospective customers throughout opening day.

“It’s going to be crazy. I mean, look at how many people we had waiting outside,” Carter said before the opening. “I’m excited to see how many people are going to be here. Plus, I want to see if we break the national record for most wings sold in a day.”

Sunday evening, the franchise hosted a VIP Party at the new location, serving free food to a select group of area patrons. Hays said the franchise sent out VIP passes to 200 people with each pass allowing the selected guest to bring someone with them, filling the restaurant with 400 people.

Aside from the free food the restaurant was cooking at the party, Hays said a portion of all other proceeds is going to go to a charity for Angelica Mormile, one of the two survivors of the March 2 crash on Interstate 75.

The old location, originally housed on West Wooster Street, closed for relocation on Wednesday, August 31; and, according to a past article in The BG News, the restaurant franchise had been in that building since 1994 prior to the move.

The expansion and relocation means much more than just changing from one building to another. Hays said being across the street from the Stroh Center will hopefully not only bring in students, but also more families to create an atmosphere that everyone can enjoy.

“We want college students, families, everyone … we want it all,” she said. “Something for everyone.”