Jim Deering, president of Wingstop Restaurants, Inc., announced that the fast-growing chicken wing
chain will reach the 50-store mark by the end of this month.

Currently, 47 Wingstop restaurants are in operation, with another four to open by February’s end. The company will pass the 50-store milestone with restaurant openings in Gainesville, Florida, Augusta, Georgia, Pleasant Grove, Texas, and Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Deering says although this record is rewarding, the company has its sights on a bigger goal.

“We plan to continue company growth until we reach a national presence,” Deering said. “At the current rate, it should not take more than a few years.”

More than 60 additional stores are currently under development. Last year, Entrepreneur magazine ranked Wingstop as one of the fastest-growing franchises in the nation, and Southern Methodist University ranked the company the 13th fastest-growing, privately-held company in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

Restaurant veteran Antonio Swad founded the Dallas-based company in 1994. As an early chicken wing pioneer, Swad focused his concept on a made-to-order, single-entree menu that combined the broad appeal of poultry with his proprietary sauces and seasonings.