Wingstop bets on core menu, global tech push
The goal is to break into the world’s top 10 restaurant brands.
Texas-born chicken chain Wingstop, Inc. is betting on fewer menu experiments, lower costs, and flagship restaurants tailored to local markets to drive international growth.
“One of the big temptations in the US fast-food category is to add more—breakfast, dessert, expanded day parts, longer opening hours,” Alan Honan, vice-president and head of international development at Wingstop, told the QSR Media Middle East Conference & Awards 2025 in Dubai.
“At Wingstop, we’ve resisted that and maintained a system focused on core production,” he added.
He said the company is focused on sustaining partner success rather than stretching itself thin. “Compared with many actors in our category, we are capex lighter, opex similar, and investment lower, which has led to world-class returns globally for our partners. Our job right now is to replicate that globally.”
Founded in Garland, Texas, 31 years ago, Wingstop now counts about 2,800 restaurants across 15 markets. Recent launches in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are setting the stage for further expansion in Gulf countries, whilst recent openings in Sydney, Paris, and the Netherlands mark its growing European footprint.
In 2024, a 10-day pop-up in Paris dubbed the House of Flavour drew 75,000 visitors and served 440,000 wings, highlighting demand in the French capital. Most recently, the brand entered the Australian market in May, with plans to open 100 restaurants by 2035.
Honan said the company’s ambitions are clear: breaking into the world’s top 10 restaurant brands. “It’s critical that we hold to three core values at Wingstop: be humble, hungry, and smart.”
The brand is also investing heavily in technology. Its “smart region” platform, already used in 1,200 US outlets, helps optimise operations, whilst My Wingstop personalises customer data and loyalty.
Though aggregator platforms dominate delivery in markets such as the UK and France, Wingstop is pursuing selective partnerships. In the UK, the chain became Deliveroo’s top delivery product in 2024.
