Buffalo Wild Wings was named the Cape Community Champion for December at the Dec. 14 school board meeting, where board member Jessica Tyndall said the 10-year relationship between the restaurant and Sussex Consortium continues to grow.
Five to 10 students work at Buffalo Wild Wings three days a week and learn skills such as bagging appetizers, busing tables, running a commercial dishwasher and taking orders, Tyndall said.
“These are all skills the students can utilize at other restaurants after graduation,” Tyndall said.
One of the reasons students have been so successful at Buffalo Wild Wings is because of their caring and supporting staff, Tyndall said.
“As you can imagine, there may be times when one of our students is having a tough day, but the Buffalo staff are respectful and kind to our students and assist our staff in any way possible,” Tyndall said. “We just returned from Thanksgiving break, and when the students went back to work, the staff and managers commented that they were so happy to have them back and that they had been missed.”
Buffalo Wild Wings employees know Sussex Consortium students and staff members by name, which wings they like and who may need a little more direction or extra time to complete their tasks, Tyndall said.
“The staff at Buffalo aren’t only involved with our vocational program, but are also invested in our school,” Tyndall said. “This past spring, the staff from Buffalo attended our Sweetbriar graduation ceremony and graciously supplied the refreshments as well as gifts for our grads.”
This summer, Tyndall said, Buffalo Wild Wings nominated the Sussex Consortium for a grant through its foundation.
“Because of that nomination, we received a sizable grant to assist the students in the vocational program and other activities,” Tyndall said. “Buffalo Wild Wings has truly made a difference in the lives of many of our students over the years, and we look forward to our continued partnership for many years to come.”