Wingstop Inc. is an American multinational chain of aviation-themed restaurants specializing in
chicken wings. Wingstop locations follow a 1930s and 1940s pre-jet aviation theme.
The restaurant chain was founded in 1994 in
Garland, Texas
Garland is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is located northeast of Dallas and is a part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is located within Dallas County except for small portions located in Collin and Rockwall Counties. At the ...
, and began offering
franchises
Franchise may refer to:
Business and law
* Franchising, a business method that involves licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business to franchisees
* Franchise, a privilege to operate a type of business such as a cable television ...
in 1997. As of 2022, Wingstop now has over 1,400 restaurants. The chain is headquartered in
Addison, Texas
Addison is an incorporated town in Dallas County, Texas, in the United States. Addison is situated to the immediate north of the city of Dallas, with a 2020 census population of 16,661. Addison and Flower Mound were the only two Texas municipaliti ...
.
In 2003, the chain was acquired by Gemini Investors, which sold it to
Roark Capital Group
Roark Capital Group is an American private equity firm with over $33 billion in assets under management. The firm is focused on leveraged buyout investments in middle-market companies, primarily in the franchise/multi-location, restaurant and fo ...
in 2010. Wingstop went public in 2015.
History
Wingstop was founded in 1994 in
Garland, Texas
Garland is a city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is located northeast of Dallas and is a part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is located within Dallas County except for small portions located in Collin and Rockwall Counties. At the ...
by Antonio Swad. The first franchised location opened in 1997, and by 2002 the brand claimed to have served two million wings.
In 2005, Wingstop opened its doors for lunch and in 2009 rolled out its boneless product.
Wingstop went global in 2010 with its first international restaurant opening in
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. It currently operates in nine countries.
Wingstop was the third-fastest-growing restaurant chain in the US from 2014 and 2016 as measured by both systemwide sales and unit growth, according to
Nation's Restaurant News.
In 2015, Wingstop went public at an initial public offering price of $19 per share. That year, the franchise's profits more than doubled.
In 2019, Wingstop unveiled the tagline ''Where Flavor Gets Its Wings''. The next year, Wingstop launched national delivery with
DoorDash
DoorDash, Inc. is an American company that operates an online food ordering and food delivery platform. The company is based in San Francisco, California. It went public in December 2020 on NYSE and trades under the symbol DASH.
With a 56% mar ...
and celebrated 25 years in business.
Menu
![Wingstop chicken and chips](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Wingstop_chicken_and_chips.jpg)
The menu consists of chicken wings, boneless wings, chicken sandwiches, and chicken tenders with various dips and sides. The flavors available in the US include plain, Hawaiian, Garlic Parmesan, Lemon Pepper, Mild, Original Hot, Hickory Smoked BBQ, Atomic, Mango Habanero, Cajun, Louisiana Rub, and Spicy Korean Q. In August 2022, the restaurant chain introduced chicken sandwiches which come in the same flavors that the wings are available in.
Previous U.S. market limited time offer flavors include Brazilian Citrus Pepper, Harissa Lemon Pepper, Ancho Honey Glaze, and "flavor mashups" consisting of a mix of two existing flavors during the brand's 25 Days of Flavor campaign in 2019, including Hot Lemon, Dragon's Breath, and more. In 2021, Wingstop brought back Hot Lemon, Lemon Garlic, and Bayou BBQ for a limited time.
Wingstop Charities
Wingstop Charities are focused toward youth and their passions, ranging from education, arts, sports, career development and more.
The Wingstop Team Member Foundation is funded by employees and provides direct support to team members experiencing a financial hardship due to an emergency.
Locations
![Wingstop Exterior Night](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Wingstop_Exterior_Night.jpg)
Wingstop opened its first international location in Mexico in 2011, where it now counts 21 locations. As of 2022, Wingstop has locations in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
,
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
,
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
and
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
.
ThighStop
On June 21, 2021, WingStop announced a digital-only restaurant called ThighStop, which includes the same menu items as WingStop, but sells thighs instead of wings. The company cited cost-saving measures as the reason for the change.
See also
*
List of chicken restaurants
References
External links
*
{{Establishments serving chicken
Regional restaurant chains in the United States
Restaurants established in 1994
Restaurants in Texas
Theme restaurants
Companies based in Richardson, Texas
1994 establishments in Texas
Fast-food chains of the United States
Poultry restaurants
Companies listed on the Nasdaq
2015 initial public offerings
2003 mergers and acquisitions
2010 mergers and acquisitions
Chicken chains of the United States