Wingstop

About Wingstop

Established in Texas in 1994 and franchising since 1997, US chicken brand Wingstop first entered the UK in 2018 with an opening in Shaftesbury Avenue in London’s West End - at which point it had more than 1,000 restaurants globally. This after the company entered an agreement with franchisee Lemon Pepper Holdings to launch and roll out in the UK.

The Wingstop parent company made a minority investment in Lemon Pepper Holdings in May 2021 in order to drive growth. In May 2022, Michael Skipworth, president and chief executive of Wingstop, said the brand’s success in the UK is a “clear demonstration of the power of our international growth strategy”. Skipworth followed this in February 2023 by saying brand’s UK business is the blueprint for its overseas growth strategy. He said: “The UK business is something we kind of referred to as a textbook deployment of our strategy.”

In May 2023, Skipworth said the brand’s UK site economics are at levels comparable with its domestic business. In April 2024, Wingstop UK said it sees potential to grow to more than 300 sites here in time, and that it had become the UK’s fastest growing restaurant brand.

In December 2024, Lemon Pepper Holdings was acquired by US private equity group Sixth Street for a price that is believed to be in excess of the previously reported £400m. Chris Sherriff, chief executive at Wingstop UK, said: “This is a major step in our journey as we build the pre-eminent fast casual restaurant brand in the UK and Ireland. The partnership with Sixth Street represents an excellent strategic and cultural fit for Wingstop UK. Together, we are excited by the expansion opportunities ahead while retaining our unwavering focus on youth culture and the communities we serve.”

In February 2025, Alex Kaleida, senior vice president and chief financial officer of US brand Wingstop, said the company now sees an opportunity to grow the UK side of the business to upwards of 450 sites, and that it will eventually lead to expansion into western Europe. In April 2025, Sherriff said recent openings on retail parks had given the business “real confidence that we can go above 3,500 square feet, and we could do it over multiple floors”.

The following month, Wingstop said that it is so confident in the long-term opportunity within its UK business that it has reinvested approximately $75m (£56.4m) of the proceeds from its recent sale into the newly formed acquisition entity. In October 2025, the brand said it is to expand to Ireland.

At the end of 2025, it operated circa 85 sites across the UK and employs more than 3,000 people, with plans grow to as many as 200 sites within the next five years. The following month, the brand made its debut in Ireland, at the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in Dublin. In December 2025, the brand secured a site for its Northern Ireland debut, in Belfast’s Boucher Place.

In June 2026, acquired seven former Pizza Hut restaurant sites as it said it sees a “significant opportunity in the out-of-town sector”. The then 95-strong brand took on 22,000 square feet of space across the seven retail park sites from landlord British Land. Sherriff said: “We see significant opportunity in the out-of-town sector, and it’s an area of our business that has outperformed expectations. In just over seven years since launching in the UK, we’ve grown to nearly 100 sites, with these latest deals bringing our retail park portfolio to 21% of our total estate. This momentum reflects the growing demand for premium quick service restaurants in out-of-town locations, where customers seek high-quality, convenient dining options.”

In July 2026, Wingstop said one of those Pizza Hut sites, in Inverness, would be opening as its furthest north site yet. The site, when it opened in August 2026, was Wingstop UK’s 100th site. Sherriff said: “I’m incredibly proud to have reached our 100th opening and even prouder of the 3,500-plus team and partners who have made this journey possible. Here's to the next 100-plus sites.”

Why franchise with Wingstop

• ✓Although it is not currently recruiting franchisees, Franchise Local reports that opening a Wingstop franchise requires an initial investment ranging from £371,500 to £854,500, which includes a £30,000 franchise fee. It said Wingstop offers brand recognition, a proven business model and the potential for rapid market expansion. It said: “Wingstop’s focus on specialty buffalo wings positions it uniquely in the market, differentiating it from the broader offerings of these established players. The brand’s strategy hinges on providing a distinct product, a focused menu, and a unique dining experience. This specialisation, coupled with Wingstop’s global brand recognition and commitment to quality, positions it to carve out its niche in the competitive UK fast food landscape.”