Wingstop: chicken chain with wide menu flavours to open 6 UK locations this year, news - list of new stores

• Wingstop will open six new locations in the UK this year
• The expansion will create 300 additional jobs, increasing Wingstop's workforce to around 2,800 staff
• The 50th Wingstop UK location opened in Bolton on 19 August, and is offering free wings to the first 100 customers
• Wingstop is a premium alternative to KFC and has attracted celebrity fans like rapper Stormzy
• It aims to reach 200 UK locations within the next five years

A popular US fried-chicken chain has announced that it will open six new UK locations this year.

As a premium alternative to KFC, Wingstop has garnered attention from celebrity fans like rapper Stormzy.

Lemon Pepper Holdings, the master franchisee for Wingstop in the UK, launched the first UK store in 2018. Since then, Wingstop has expanded to 50 restaurants, with the 50th location opening on Monday (19 August) in Bolton.

The Bolton launch is expected to generate 60 local jobs - and the first 100 customers will receive free chicken wings.

Chris Sherriff, co-chief executive of Lemon Pepper Holdings, said: “Today is a significant day for Wingstop UK as we celebrate the incredible achievement of opening our 50th location in just under six years.

Sherriff said the milestone reflected Wingstop’s “commitment to creating meaningful job opportunities”.

He added: “It’s been incredibly rewarding to see so many individuals progress, taking on new challenges and advancing within the company.”

Where will the six new Wingstop stores be?

Its six new stores will create 300 additional jobs and expand the brand’s current workforce of 2,500 staff.

The company will open the outlets in the following locations:

• Crawley
• Ealing
• Lakeside
• Manchester
• Walthamstow
• Whitechapel

Wingstop was founded in 1994 by entrepreneur Antonio Swad, and has its headquarters in Dallas, Texas. The chain focuses exclusively on chicken wings, offering a wide variety of flavours and sauces.

It now has more than 2,200 franchise locations worldwide, and claims it has served two million wings over the years.

Sherriff said that the chain still has “untapped” potential across Britain, and that it has ambitions to reach 200 sites within the next five years.

What do you think about Wingstop's rapid expansion and their new locations? Are you excited for the chance to try their flavors or to see how this impacts the local job market? Share your thoughts and predictions in the comments section.