Skip to main content
QSR Magazine Logo
Continue to Site
QSR Logo
  • MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes drive-thru rendering.
    Convenience Drives MOOYAH Into the Post-Pandemic Future
    Fazoli's dish of pasta.
    Why Fazoli’s is One of the Pandemic’s Restaurant Winners
    A&W Restaurants
    It’s Going to Take More than a Pandemic to Stop A&W
  • QSR Logo
    • Subscribe
        QSR cover
        Get QSR every month!
        Free to Qualified Restaurant Professionals
        Renew
        Update Your Address
        Subscribe to E-Letters
        A.M. Jolt
        Fast-Casual 2.0
        Contact Us
        Advertise
    • Food
      • Beverage
      • Breakfast
      • Burgers
      • Desserts
      • Food Safety
      • Health & Wellness
      • Marc Halperin: Resident F&B Expert
      • Menu Innovations
      • Pizza
      • Sandwiches
    • Operations
      • Back of House
      • Charitable Giving
      • Compliance
      • Design
      • Drive Thru
      • Business Advice
      • Customer Experience
      • Employee Management
      • Restaurant Operations
      • Legal
      • Fast Food
      • Ordering
      • Outside Insights
      • Sustainability
      • POS Solutions
      • Security
      • Start to Finish: What Inspires Execs
      • Technology
    • Growth
      • Consumer Trends
      • Emerging Concepts
      • Fast Casual
      • Finance
      • Franchising
      • Marketing & Promotions
    • Reports
      • Drive-Thru Study
      • QSR 50
      • Growth 40
      • 40/40 List
      • Franchise Opportunities
      • Best Franchise Deals
      • Find a Supplier
      • Smart Chain
    • Events
      • Webinars
      • Fast Casual Meet Ups
    • Video
    • Podcast

      Wingstop’s Blueprint to Becoming a Global Powerhouse

      A deep dive into the Dallas-based chicken-wing company and how it’s managed its remarkable success throughout the pandemic.

      Special Report | December 2020 | Sam Oches
      • Tweet
      • Share on Facebook
      • Share on LinkedIn
      • Forward via E-mail
      Charlie Morrison Wingstop CEO sits at a table.
      wingstop / jason kindig
      In Q3, Wingstop—led by CEO Charlie Morrison, above—boasted same-store sales gains of over 25 percent, along with 43 net new locations.

      Looking at Wingstop’s performance in 2020, you might not remember there was a deadly pandemic raging around the world, crippling businesses left and right.

      No, for this Dallas-based chicken-wing chain, 2020 has been business as usual—if not even better. Wingstop reported that its third-quarter same-store sales were up over 25 percent. That’s after a Q1 gain of 9.9 percent and Q2 increase of 31.9 percent. Meanwhile, it opened 28 net new locations in Q1, 23 in Q2, and 43 in Q3.

      So how has Wingstop managed such remarkable success in a season when other restaurant companies are flailing? QSR editor Sam Oches recently talked with Wingstop’s entire executive team to understand how a combination of culture, technology, and old-fashioned product quality have helped the brand navigate such turbulent times. Click on the links below to get a glimpse at the strategy that helped Wingstop stand firm during the COVID-19 crisis, and a blueprint for how it plans to become a top 10 global restaurant company.

      FEATURE: How Wingstop Became a ‘Category of One’

      LISTEN: CEO Charlie Morrison on How to Become a Top 10 Global Brand

      LISTEN: CMO Christina Clarke on How Being ‘Intentionally Agile’ is Boosting Wingstop

      LISTEN: SVP of People Donnie Upshaw on the Power of Culture in Pulling a Brand Through Crisis

      LISTEN: President of International Nicolas Boudet on Why International Markets are Key to Wingstop's Growth Goals

      LISTEN: CTO Stacy Peterson on the Secrets to Wingstop's Tech Mastery

      Share on Facebook Tweet Share on LinkedIn Forward via E-mail

      read more

      • Customer Experience
      • Fast Casual
      • Finance
      • Franchising
      • Marketing & Promotions
      • Restaurant Operations
      • Wingstop

      Recent News

      Slim Chickens Opens Fort Sam Houston Location
      QsrSoft Named Top Food Safety Solution Provider
      Chipotle Accomplishes 51 Percent Waste Diversion Rate in 2020 Sustainability Report
      Wings Over Creates CBD-Infused Menu for 4/20
      Delphi Display Systems Provides Total Digital Solution for Havana Savannah Coffee Concept
      Starbucks to Open New Research and Innovation Facility at Arizona State University

      Subscribe to A.M. Jolt

      The five times weekly e-newsletter that keeps you up-to-date on the latest industry news and additions to this website.

      Smart Chain Reports

      The Future of Drive Thru
      Vendors to the Rescue
      I Saw the Sign (Digital Signage)
      Restaurant Equipment & Technology 2020
      Breakfast Boom or Bust?
      Pack It Up
      Speciality Beverages
      PCI Compliance
      OneSource Logo
      Drive Thru Systems

      HME | Hospitality & Specialty Communications

      2848 Whiptail Loop
      Carlsbad
      CA
      858-535-6160
      A wide range of quality solutions for drive-thru, in-store, & retail operations.
      Marketing & Promotional Items

      Talking Eats

      3926 W. Touhy Ave., #190
      Lincolnwood
      IL
      773-780-4635
      Edible Labels, Vegan, Kosher, Halal, film is AR and QR tested. Certified WBENC (more)
      Refrigeration & Ice Machines

      Ice-O-Matic

      11100 East 45th Avenue
      Denver
      CO
      866PUREICE
      Internet Service Provider/Wi-fi/Broadband

      Netsurion

      Listing Logo image
      100 W. Cypress Creek Rd., Suite 530
      Fort Lauderdale
      FL
      713-929-0200
      An all-in-one network solution for security, cellular failover, Wi-Fi, and PCI DSS.
      Find restaurant equipment and suppliers
      Start Now!

      Health & Wellness

      McDonald's Happy Meals are Still Getting Healthier
      Health and Wellness Brands Find their COVID-19 Purpose
      Off-Premises Menu Innovation Has Never Been More Critical

      Technology

      Chick-fil-A Spicy Chicken Deluxe Sandwich.
      Chick-fil-A Testing Robotic Delivery
      6 Ways to Deliver an Innovative Off-Premises Experience
      Using Intuitive E-Commerce to Create an Easier User Experience

      Restaurant Operations

      Chipotle burrito on a platter.
      Why Restaurants Will Be Stronger in the Long Run
      How Quick-Service Restaurants Can Profit from Great Service
      The Power of Culture in a Restaurant Franchise

      Fast Food

      McDonald's crispy chicken sandwiches.
      The Chicken Sandwich Wars Will Ignite Again in 2021
      McDonald’s Unveils New Global Standards to Prevent Harassment and Discrimination
      Taco Bell Unveils Fully Digital Location in Times Square

      Marketing & Promotions

      Engage Restaurant Goers By Leveraging Out-of-Home Advertising
      Restaurant Marketing and COVID: Owning the Social Conversation
      Zaxby's is Playing to Win the Chicken Sandwich Wars

      Business Advice

      CO-CEO Aj Kumaran (left) and founder Todd Graves
      How Raising Cane’s Was Built to Last
      The Restaurant Revitalization Fund: A Primer
      What Do Frontline Employees Want from Restaurants?

      Emerging Concepts

      MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes drive-thru rendering.
      Convenience Drives MOOYAH Into the Post-Pandemic Future
      Under New Ownership, Duck Donuts Readies for Explosive Growth
      Seven Brew Ready to ‘Disrupt Drive-Thru’ with Jimmy John’s Founder

      Customer Experience

      Your New Pandemic Technology is a Security Risk. Here’s How to Fix It.
      Using Twitter to Learn What Customers Want
      Back to ‘Normal:' How Vaccine Rollouts Will Impact Quick-Service Traffic
      A New Era Arrives at Quiznos

      Drive Thru

      Pizza Hut Hut Lane rendering.
      Pizza Hut Races Into the Drive-Thru Game
      This Better-Burger Bar Has Become an Off-Premises Believer
      Jimmy John's Founder Invests in Emerging Coffee Chain

      Menu Innovations

      Project Pollo bowl of chicken.
      Project Pollo Pioneers a New Model in the Plant-Based Segment
      Menu Reengineering: A Vital Strategy to Achieve Optimization
      Where to Turn for Menu Innovation? Try Getting Creative with Sides

      Employee Management

      Chipotle grads hold up a burrito.
      Chipotle's Debt-Free Degree Program Gets a Major Upgrade
      Restaurants Race for Employees as Recovery Heats Up
      Whataburger Promotes General Managers, Raises Pay to Six Figures

      Fast Casual

      Meatheads files for bankruptcy, but a lender is disputing the case.
      Meatheads Burgers & Fries Files for Bankruptcy
      Why Fazoli’s is One of the Pandemic’s Restaurant Winners
      Roti to Close One-Third of Footprint

      Franchising

      Restaurant employee wearing a face guard.
      Updating Your FDD—What to Consider
      Why Health Food Franchises Will Take Off in 2021
      Chick N Max Wants to Rule the ‘Better Chicken Sandwich’ Segment 

      Consumer Trends

      Cocktail being served by a restaurant.
      The Restaurant Recovery Kicks Into Gear
      Where Does the Restaurant Industry Go from Here?
      Restaurant Revitalization Fund ‘Amazing Step,’ But Work Remains

      Finance

       Street view of Chinese people leaving a Luckin Coffee shop in Wuhan China.
      Luckin Coffee Notches $250 Million Investment
      McDonald’s, Subway, Exiting Walmart Stores
      Chipotle CEO's Pay Increased 137 Percent to $38 Million in 2020
    QSR cover

    Subscribe To QSR

    • Magazine
    • Renew
    • Update Your Address
    • E-Letters
    • Advertise

    Food

    • Beverage
    • Breakfast
    • Burgers
    • Desserts
    • Health & Wellness
    • Marc Halperin: Resident F&B Expert
    • Menu Innovations
    • Pizza
    • Sandwiches

    Operations

    • Back of House
    • Business Advice
    • Charitable Giving
    • Customer Experience
    • Design
    • Drive Thru
    • Employee Management
    • Legal
    • Ordering
    • Outside Insights
    • Restaurant Operations
    • Start to Finish: What Inspires Execs
    • Sustainability
    • Technology

    Growth

    • Consumer Trends
    • Emerging Concepts
    • Fast Casual
    • Finance
    • Franchising
    • Marketing & Promotions

    Reports

    • QSR 50
    • Drive-Thru Study
    • Growth 40
    • 40/40 List
    • Best Franchise Deals
    • Smart Chain
    • Franchise Opportunities
    • Find a Supplier

    Events

    • Webinars
    • Fast Casual Meet Ups
    Copyright © 2021 Journalistic, Inc. All rights reserved. QSR is a registered trademark of Journalistic, Inc. Please read our privacy policy before submitting data on this web site. Submission of data is acknowledgement of acceptance of our privacy policy. Some aspects of this site are protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.