Buffalo Wild Wings opens in Royal Oak today, with free wings for first 100 guests

We wrote last week about how Ferndale's Buffalo Wild Wings was moving to Royal Oak — into a larger location on the first floor of the former Barnes & Noble bookstore on Main Street, south of the railroad tracks. If you really love their wings, you might just want to take an early lunch today, as the first 100 guests through the door for the restaurant's grand opening will get free wings for a year.

Of course, we heard a bit of groaning over the fact that a former bookstore is now hosting a location of the national chain built on wings, sports and beer. So we decided to ask somebody at the company that owns the location in question, and we got in touch with Rene Barber, marketing coordinator for Diversified Restaurant Holdings Inc. in Southfield. They picked the space because it was your typical "white box," ready to accomodate the company's new "Stadia" design, being rolled out at new locations across the country. 

We put it to Barber: "What does it say about us that Royal Oak's largest bookstore has become a palace of sports, beer, and wings?"

She was a good sport and gave us something to thing about: "It’s certainly true that media has evolved and changed the way we consume books. While our website comes close, they haven’t yet figured out a way to consume wings digitally."

Digital wings, huh? It's worth considering.

Until there is an actual "Netclux" or whatever, you'll have to download your wings the old-fashioned way. Might as well do it at Royal Oak's Buffalo Wild Wings, which will open its doors at 11 a.m. today, at 500 S. Main St., Royal Oak.