Buying or selling an existing Wild Wing location in Ontario is a resale layered on top of a wing-and-sports-bar franchise system — because most locations serve alcohol, the AGCO liquor licence transfer runs alongside the lease and the franchisor's own consent and right of first refusal.
Wild Wing resales follow the franchisor's own approval process on top of the usual purchase mechanics — here's how the two run together.
Getting approved
The offer sets price and structure, and should build in the conditions that matter for a Wild Wing resale: franchisor consent, the AGCO liquor licence transfer, and landlord consent to assign — not just financing.
1–2 weeks†Wild Wing reviews the incoming owner's application, and may exercise a right of first refusal to acquire the location itself rather than let the sale proceed.
several weeks, typically†Whether an Arthur Wishart Act disclosure document applies to this specific resale gets confirmed early — Ontario courts read the resale exemption narrowly, so franchisor involvement in matching buyer to seller can still trigger a full disclosure requirement.
assessed early in the deal†Getting to closing
The AGCO liquor sales licence transfer application and the landlord's consent to assign the lease typically run in parallel, and either one can become the pacing item for closing.
4–10 weeks†The incoming owner typically completes Wild Wing's operations training before or shortly after taking over the location.
before or shortly after closing†Funds, keys, and the assignment documents change hands once every condition clears, alongside an inventory count of food, beverage, and bar stock settled at cost.
1 day, once conditions are met†Confirmed as a franchised Canadian restaurant chain; head office relocated to King City, Ontario in 2016
Numerous locations across Canada, with the majority situated in Ontario
This is the first real decision in a Wild Wing resale — and it changes what you're buying, what you're taking on, and how the franchise agreement moves.
| Question | Asset purchase | Share purchase |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | The location's assets — equipment, leasehold improvements, inventory, and the existing franchise agreement's benefit, subject to franchisor consent. | The shares of the operating company that holds the location — everything it owns, and everything it owes. |
| Franchisor consent & ROFR | Required for the specific location changing hands — often the pacing condition on the whole deal. | Required for the change of control itself — the franchisor reviews who is actually taking over. |
| The liquor sales licence | Handled as a transfer application, or a new licence, bridged by an interim authorization to keep the business serving. | Stays with the corporation, but AGCO must be notified of the change in ownership. |
| The lease | Needs the landlord's consent to assign, timed alongside the AGCO transfer and the franchisor's own consent. | Usually stays in place unless the lease itself has a change-of-control clause. |
| Tax angle | Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased. | Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares. |
| Typical use in a Wild Wing resale | The default for a single location changing hands between one buyer and one seller. | Sometimes preferred where a hard-to-reassign liquor licence or lease favours keeping the corporation intact. |
The location's assets — equipment, leasehold improvements, inventory, and the existing franchise agreement's benefit, subject to franchisor consent.
The shares of the operating company that holds the location — everything it owns, and everything it owes.
Required for the specific location changing hands — often the pacing condition on the whole deal.
Required for the change of control itself — the franchisor reviews who is actually taking over.
Handled as a transfer application, or a new licence, bridged by an interim authorization to keep the business serving.
Stays with the corporation, but AGCO must be notified of the change in ownership.
Needs the landlord's consent to assign, timed alongside the AGCO transfer and the franchisor's own consent.
Usually stays in place unless the lease itself has a change-of-control clause.
Buyer gets a stepped-up cost base on the assets purchased.
Seller may access the lifetime capital gains exemption on qualifying shares.
The default for a single location changing hands between one buyer and one seller.
Sometimes preferred where a hard-to-reassign liquor licence or lease favours keeping the corporation intact.
We tell you which structure fits — before you sign anything.
No open-ended hourly surprises — the cost is confirmed in writing before any work begins.
| Type of work | Fee | How it's confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward purchase or sale | Starting from $3,388.87 Our charges · taxes included | Confirmed in writing once we see the agreement. |
| Larger or more complex deal | Quoted to scope | Short call → fixed written quote before any work begins. |
| Searches, filings & third-party fees | At cost | Itemized on your invoice, not marked up. |
A single Wild Wing location changing hands between one buyer and one seller, with an existing liquor licence and a straightforward lease.
Start my file →An owner holding several locations selling the operating company as one, or a resale where the AGCO transfer, the franchisor's right of first refusal, or a disclosure question needs to be worked through first.
Book a consultation →Not sure which you are? That's our job to figure out, not yours. As a rough guide, most deals under a couple of million dollars are the first kind — above that, you're usually in Mergers & Acquisitions territory.
Often, yes — an interim authorization can let the premises keep serving under temporary authority while the full transfer application works through AGCO. What applies to your specific licence and timeline gets confirmed before closing, not assumed.
Not necessarily. Ontario courts have read the resale-disclosure exemption narrowly, and franchisor involvement in matching a buyer to a seller can be enough to trigger a full disclosure requirement anyway. Whether it applies to your deal is confirmed early, not assumed.
It varies by deal, but both typically run for several weeks and often move in parallel rather than one after the other — we build the closing timeline around whichever one is actually slower for your specific location, not around an assumption.
A resale is an existing, already-licensed location changing ownership — there's no build-out or new licence application from scratch to plan for, which is typically why a resale closes faster than opening a brand-new location, even accounting for the AGCO transfer.
It changes what you're taking on. The corporation's history and its existing liabilities come along with the shares, while the liquor licence and lease generally stay attached rather than being re-applied for. We test that reasoning before you agree to it.
Related
Where we close franchise resale deals
Treadstone Law is an independent law firm. We act for buyers and sellers of franchise businesses. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or retained by Wild Wing or its franchisor.
Tell us about your Wild Wing resale — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.