May 19, 2013

Industry News | October 23, 2002

Jimmy Disbrow, Co-founder of Buffalo Wild Wings, Dies.

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Buffalo Wild Wings

Jimmy Disbrow, co-founder and chairman of Buffalo Wild Wings, died October 16 after a four-year battle with brain cancer at the age of 54.

Disbrow and partner Scott Lowery founded Buffalo Wild Wings, originally BW-3, in Columbus, Ohio in 1982. He served as president and chief executive officer until 1994 and was chairman of the board at the time of his death. The chain has grown to over 170 locations nationwide and ranked #45 with $220 million in sales in the 2001 QSR 50.

A men’s junior silver medallist in the 1966 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Disbrow was elected president of the U.S. Figure Skating Association in May 1998. He served as team leader for the 1998 U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team in Nagano, Japan, and the 1995 World Championships in Birmingham, England. He was also chair of the 1998 World Figure Skating Championships in Minneapolis.

In a statement from the USFSA, current president Phyllis Howard said, "Jimmy Disbrow will be greatly missed by the USFSA skating family. His passionate love of the sport, his strong commitment to the athletes, as well as his exuberant personality will long be remembered by a wide circle of skating friends.”

Disbrow is survived by his wife Dede and two children, Carl and Devon Hensel.