Skip to main content
QSR Magazine Logo
Continue to Site
QSR Logo
  • Two glasses of water on a table, with food in the background.
    Red Robin, Bartaco Vets Hunt for the Next Public Market Star
    A wrap and fries at Wing Zone.
    Why Capriotti’s Wing Zone Blockbuster Will Boost Both Brands
    Schlotzsky’s drive-thru store rendering.
    Schlotzsky’s Drive Thru Enters the Future
  • 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

      Fired Pie Offering BOGO Deal on Mac ‘n Cheese Dishes for Inauguration Day
      WaBa Grill Announces Best Sales Year in Brand History
      Mountain Mike’s Appreciates Record Sales in 2020
      Paris Baguette to Roll Out Three New Custom Cakes
      Killer Burger to Open Latest Portland Location
      Luna Grill Taps Former Yum! Exec Steve Holliday as New COO

      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

      Restaurant Equipment & Technology 2020
      I Saw the Sign (Digital Signage)
      Pack It Up
      Breakfast Boom or Bust?
      Speciality Beverages
      PCI Compliance
      POS Solutions
      Safety and Security

      OneSource

      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

      Drive Thru

      Schlotzsky’s drive-thru store rendering.
      Schlotzsky’s Drive Thru Enters the Future
      Optimizing Your Restaurant for the Takeout Boom
      Wienerschnitzel’s Drive Thru Rewrites the Record Books

      Fast Casual

      Shake Shack app.
      Shake Shack is Sprinting to Digital Supremacy
      How FOCUS Brands Doubled Down on Digital During COVID-19
      Why The Hummus & Pita Co. is One to Watch

      Franchising

      El Pollo Loco
      The Next Evolution of El Pollo Loco Has Arrived
      How Franchisors Can Stimulate Growth and Help Owners Navigate Lending
      The OG in Chicken Fingers is Ready for the Spotlight

      Fast Food

      Starbucks customer wearing a mask picks up a drink.
      Starbucks to Assist with Washington’s Vaccination Rollout
      How McDonald’s Supported Employees During the COVID-19 Pandemic
      Checkers & Rally’s Turnaround Shifts Into High Gear

      Marketing & Promotions

      Burger King packaging.
      Will Burger King’s Massive Rebrand Pay Off?
      How Restaurants Can Use a Customer Data Platform to Increase Revenue
      Burger King Unveils First Complete Rebrand in Over 20 Years

      Business Advice

      Honeygrow CEO Justin Rosenberg.
      What Inspires Honeygrow Founder Justin Rosenberg
      Back to Normal in 2021? Not So Fast!
      How Subscription Services are Helping Revive Restaurants

      Restaurant Operations

      Del Taco drive-thru prototype.
      Del Taco Drops 'Fresh Flex' Prototype Designed to Grow
      What’s in the $900 Billion Stimulus for Restaurants?
      Moving Beyond COVID: 3 Ways to Accelerate Innovation

      Technology

      Chicas Tacos' pizzas and tacos.
      New Tech Tools Blur the Service Lines for Restaurants
      Picturing the 2021 Restaurant Technology Landscape
      With COVID Cases Surging, Restaurants Must Keep Delivery Top of Mind

      Emerging Concepts

      Two glasses of water on a table, with food in the background.
      Red Robin, Bartaco Vets Hunt for the Next Public Market Star
      Why Capriotti’s Wing Zone Blockbuster Will Boost Both Brands
      Modern Market is Executing its Digital Master Plan

      Customer Experience

      Chief executive of Dallas based wings company talks how to become world powerhouse.
      How to Become a Top 10 Global Brand
      The Secrets to Wingstop’s Tech Mastery
      Why International Markets are Key to Wingstop's Growth Goals

      Employee Management

      The United States Capitol Building.
      Biden’s $1.9 Trillion Relief Plan Includes $15 Minimum Wage
      Starbucks CFO Pat Grismer to Retire
      Domino's to Spend Over $9.6 Million on Frontline Worker Bonuses

      Menu Innovations

      KFC chicken sandwich image.
      KFC Launches 'Best Chicken Sandwich Ever'
      McDonald’s to Roll Out New Chicken Sandwiches in February
      Why Papa John’s Was 2020’s Most Transformational Brand

      Finance

      Checkers Hero
      Checkers Gets $20 Million Injection to Ignite 'Aggressive Growth'
      Wendy’s, Flynn Restaurant Group Reach Agreement on NPC Assets
      Shipley Do-Nuts Acquired by Peak Rock Capital

      Consumer Trends

      Salad restaurant chain Sweetgreen to open drive through in Colorado.
      Sweetgreen the Latest to Add a Drive-Thru Prototype
      Restaurant Outlook for 2021: Uneven Recovery, but Better Days Ahead
      How Sam Nazarian's C3 is Unleashing the Future of Restaurants
    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.