Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BWLD) announced last month that it is partnering with NTN Buzztime, Inc. (NYSE MKT: NTN) to bring the company’s BEOND tablet-based entertainment platform to all of their North America restaurant locations by the end of 2015. Buzztime’s BEOND tablet lets Buffalo Wild Wings Guests order food, request songs and television programming, play games (both multi-player and arcade-style), and pay the bill.
The seven-inch Samsung Galaxy touchscreen tablets are pre-loaded with games music options. With a mix of complimentary and paid content, the BEOND tablets enable multi-player, multi-location gaming; guests may play popular trivia and poker games against other individuals, another table or even other restaurant locations. The Guest Experience Wingman feature allows Guests to send an alert to their server with pre-defined requests like questions on how to use their Buzztime tablet, set up a Blazin’ wing challenge or requests to have a TV channel changed or get their check.
Already available in approximately 150 corporate-owned locations, it is expected that the tablets will be rolled out to about 500 Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants by the end of 2014 and to all North American locations by late next year.
Replacing Buffalo Wild Wings’ existing Buzztime Playmaker trivia consoles, the tablets will include complimentary core games such as trivia and poker, with additional paid games and jukebox selections available for Guests interested in a premium experience. Nelsen noted that he expects an ordering and payment feature will be available on the tablets in the second half of 2014, and will help to connect the entertainment and menu experiences.
The multi-year agreement follows a successful test of the tablets in approximately 30 Buffalo Wild Wings locations. The next-generation technology was very enthusiastically received and widely used by a variety of Guests ranging from groups of adult sports fans to families with younger children, Edelman said.
posted by Cynthia Le
4/6/14
