Shares of Buffalo Wild Wings jumped more than 20 percent in premarket trading Thursday after the company posted higher-than-expected earnings for the third quarter.
The restaurant chain also raised its earnings forecast for the year. It now expects 2017 earnings per share, on an adjusted basis, to come in at $4.85 to $5.15. In July, it cut its adjusted earnings outlook to $4.50 to $5 a share from a previous forecast of $5.45 to $5.90 a share.
Buffalo Wild Wings on Wednesday reported earnings of $1.36 a share, excluding items, easily topping analysts' projections of 79 cents a share. Revenue, however, missed, at $497 million, compared with Wall Street expectations of $502 million.
Shares of the company closed more than 4.1 percent down Wednesday at $101.15, and have tumbled more than 34 percent so far this year as of the close.
CEO Sally Smith attributed the results to a mix of cost-savings initiatives and sales promotions.
Investors could well see this as a welcome change after several months looking to see whether Buffalo Wild Wings can turn its fortunes around.
In July, the company slashed its 2017 outlook after a sizable miss on second quarter earnings. At the time Smith, attributed weak sales to higher than average wing prices and a change-up in menu promotions.
Smith announced in June that she would step down by year's end following a bitter proxy battle with activist investors Marcato.
—CNBC's Sarah Whitten contributed to this report.
WATCH: BWLD beats on bottom line
