About Me

Being raised on a 1500 acre dairy farm in New Creek, WV, instilled the values, morals and work ethic that was the catalyst to success in business.  For Pancake, it all started with a part-time job as a cook and chicken cutter at a local KFC franchise in his native West Virginia. He ultimately spent 10 years with KFC working his way up to Regional Manager. A five-year stint as Senior Director of Company Operations for Roasters Corporation, the franchisor for Kenny Rogers Roasters, followed before the critical move to Cincinnati in 1997 to join Buffalo Wild Wings. While at BWW, Inc., he moved to the headquarters in Minneapolis, MN, was promoted to Sr. Director of Company Operations and oversaw 80 restaurants in 13 states and reported directly to the company’s CEO, Sally Smith.

Bobby met Steve Wheat while working for Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. Steve was the Local Store Marketing Manager. They spent many business trips discussing their dream of starting their own restaurant and developing their business plan. At the time, the franchise was in the process of transitioning from a local wing joint targeting college campuses to today’s national model of a suburban, family-oriented sports bar and grill. In 2003, the pair was introduced to Thom Kreusch, a developer and serial entrepreneur from Dayton, OH and they decided to partner up and become franchisees of the growing brand.

Their timing was perfect. In the past 20 years Buffalo Wild Wings has grown from less than 50 restaurants to more than 1200 locations today. Pancake and Wheat (High 5 Hospitality) own the development rights for the entire state of Delaware and three counties in Maryland.

Success has not been without its adversities. Within six weeks of opening the first restaurant, Mr. Kreusch died unexpectedly. It was a huge personal setback for the entrepreneurs.

Since opening in 2004, with the exception of 2019 and 2020, the Delaware and Maryland restaurants have shown sales increases every year and have expanded to 18 restaurants and sports bars and over 700 employees. Not bad, considering Pancake and Wheat introduced the Buffalo Wild Wings brand with the first restaurant on the East Coast. High 5 Hospitality now operates eight (8) Buffalo Wild Wings franchises in Bear, Dover, Christiana, Middletown, Newark, and Rehoboth Beach, DE, as well as, Bel Air and Salisbury, MD.  They also operate two independent restaurants, the Stone Balloon and Limestone BBQ & Bourbon, opening in both 2014 & 2018 respectively.  In 2019, H5H became an international franchisee of a breakfast concept called Eggspectation, with a June opening in Christiana.  On December 1, 2021, the group acquired five Jersey Mike’s Subs in Delaware to become a franchisee and add the 5th brand to the portfolio.  Growth in all five concepts is the vision over the next five years while continuing to vet out both franchise and independent restaurant concepts.

They have received accolades for their accomplishments along the way. In 2005, they were named New Franchisee of the Year by BWW, Inc. In 2009, Bobby received the Founders Award from Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc., recognizing the individual who best personifies the vision, enthusiasm, work ethic and humility of the chain’s late founder, Jim Disbrow. The SBA honored High 5, LLC in 2010 as the National Entrepreneur Success Award winner. In June of 2010, on an invitation from President Obama, the business partners traveled to The White House and met with the President, in the oval office, to discuss small business. The Delaware Restaurant Association named the pair as Restaurateurs of the Year for 2011.  Their most recent recognition was being named the Buffalo Wild Wings Franchisee of the Year for 2020.

In addition to operating restaurants, Pancake has gone back to his roots by forming Claysville Cattle Company with his cousins in West Virginia.  They are currently raising Certified Simmental Cattle on the family farm.

Bobby serves on the Board of Directors for The Delaware Restaurant Association (Chairman–2014-2015), Franchise Business Services (FBS) and Eggspectation Restaurants (North America).  He also serves on the Buffalo Wild Wings Franchise Advisory Council (BWWFAC), participating in two subcommittees (Fixed Assets and Restaurant Operations/Execution).  He is a Civic Leader with for USAF Air Mobility Command.

Bobby and his wife Heather reside in Bear, DE.  They have two sons and a daughter in college.  Bobby’s oldest son, Levi, is a Pastor in Syracuse, NY.  He and his wife Julie are the proud parents of two children, Sophia and Judah.

1982
April

Joins CMI of Virginia, Inc., a franchisee of Kentucky Fried Chicken as a cook in Keyser, WV

1982
September

Opens Bobby’s Market in New Creek, WV

1983
June

Promoted to Shift Supervisor at Kentucky Fried Chicken in Keyser, WV

1984
February

Promoted to Assistant Manager at Kentucky Fried Chicken in Keyser, WV

1984
March

Closed Bobby’s Market

1984
December

Transfers to LaVale, MD as an Assistant Manager at Kentucky Fried Chicken

1985
July

Transfers to Charles Town, WV as an Assistant Manager at Kentucky Fried Chicken

1985
November

Attends Kentucky Fried Chicken University in Louisville, KY

November

Transfers and is promoted to Manager at Kentucky Fried Chicken in New Martinsville, WV.

1986
May

Transfers to Kentucky Fried Chicken in Charles Town, WV as Manager

1987
February

Transfers to Chantilly, VA to open a Kentucky Fried Chicken as Manager

1987
November

Named CMI Manager of the Year and promoted to Area Manager

1988
February

Assumes responsibility for multi-unit operations of Kentucky Fried Chicken in Reisterstown, Westminster and Frederick, MD

1989
January

Adds Charles Town, WV to area of responsibility

1989
April

Opens Frederick, MD #2

1989
September

Adds two Hagerstown restaurants to area of responsibility

1991
January

Adds Martinsburg, WV to responsibility

1992
July

CMI of Virginia, Inc. sells KFC restaurants. Opened 5 new KFC during my ten years with the brand.

July

Joined Cornett Management Company (same franchisee) and becomes a franchisee of Kenny Rogers Roasters

1992
August

Moved to Pittsburgh, PA to open Kenny Rogers Roasters restaurants in Squirrel Hill, Bridgeville & Monroeville, PA as an Area Manager.

1993
July

Cornett Management Company sells their Kenny Rogers Roasters restaurants to KRR, Inc. based in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

1993
August

Moved back to Maryland to oversee operations for KRR, Inc in Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Washington, DC

1995
June

Promoted to Director of Operations of Kenny Rogers Roasters, Inc. overseeing operations from Savannah, GA to Lansing, MI.

1997
January

Resigned from Kenny Rogers Roasters after opening 19 new locations and assisting in the acquisition of 16 franchise locations

1997
March

Accepted a position as an Assistant Manager of Silver Diner in Tysons Corner, VA

1997
August

Accepted a position as District Manager for bw-3 (later becomes Buffalo Wild Wings) and moved to Cincinnati, OH/Florence, KY.

2001
February

Promoted to Director of Operations of Buffalo Wild Wings and moved to Minneapolis, MN.

2002
March

Promoted to Sr. Director of Company Operations with Buffalo Wild Wings.

2003
November

Terminated from Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. During my tenure opened 68 new locations, six years of positive SSS growth and supervised eight Multi-unit operators overseeing 80 restaurants.

2003
December

Approved as a franchisee of Buffalo Wild Wings and join Thom Kreusch and Steve Wheat in forming High 5, LLC

2004
May

Begin construction of our first Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in Bear, DE

2004
December

BWW Bear opens!

2006
March

Named New Franchisee of the Year for 2005

2006
April

Open our second BWW in Dover, DE

2006
May

Middletown, DE becomes our third BWW location

2008
October

BWW opens on Limestone Road in Wilmington to mark our 4th opening

2008
December

Open BWW Newark, DE

2009
December

Open our first Maryland location in Bel Air, MD

2010
March

BWW Founders Award winner

2010
May

SBA Entrepreneurial Success Award – National Winner

2010
June

Met with President Obama in the Oval Office of the White House

2011
November

Delaware Restauranteur of the Year

2012
August

Opened our 7th location in Rehoboth Beach, DE

2013
June

BWW Salisbury, MD marks the 8th BWW location

2014
July

Acquired the 16 Mile Taphouse in Newark, DE making it our first independent venture

2015
February

Closed the 16 Mile Taphouse and reopened as the Stone Balloon Alehouse

2017
January

Consulted for one year with Touch of Italy, A Lewes, DE restaurant group

2020
November

Buffalo Wild Wings Franchisee of the Year