Wingstop reveals locations for five new openings this year
Following the opening of its tenth UK location in Gloucester Road, South Kensington, late last year, the group will open sites in the former EAT at Birmingham’s Bullring, the former Chik-Fil-A
at the Oracle in Reading, a former Dorothy Perkins in Bristol’s Cabot Circus, and a former Pizza Hut in Kingston town centre.
The openings come through a deal with Lemon Pepper Holdings, a master franchisee and brand partner of Wingstop, and property development and investment company Hammerson, and marks the brand's push into more regional locations.
“This trilogy provides us with accelerated regional presence in high profile locations over the next two quarters,” says Tom Grogan, director at Lemon Pepper Holdings.
“Since COVID-19 hit early last year our business has evidently faced challenges, yet our team and model has been able to quickly adapt for accelerated growth in off premise transactions. We are now well capitalised to take advantage of an adjusted real estate market and we are on track to open 10 locations this year”
Wingstop, which operates in more than 1,500 locations worldwide and which made its UK debut in 2018, plans to reach 20 locations in the UK by the end of 2021,
“Wingstop has already built up a strong fan base in just a few years, so I’m certain these new sites will go down well with our customers, and complement the broader offer at these destinations. It’s been a tough twelve months for everyone, but announcements like this demonstrate that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” says Iain Mitchell, UK commercial director at Hammerson.
Ramen brand Bone Daddies will today (1 March) launch its fried chicken sister brand Wing Daddies. The brand will initially operate in Kentish Town, before entering dark kitchens across London in coming months. Loughton-based wing specialist Wing Shack, meanwhile, recently opened a pop-up in London.
