U.S. same store sales at Wingstop grew 25.4% during the third quarter of 2020. This is the second consecutive quarter of double-digit sales increases for the chicken wing chain in 2020, which reported a 31.9% increase in Q2.
Year-to-date, the brand’s comp’s have increased by 22.5%, putting Wingstop on pace to achieve its 17th straight year of same-store sales growth. Company-run same-store sales grew by 15.2% and the wing chain experienced 43 net openings systemwide during Q3.
"The results during the third quarter continue to highlight the strength of our growth strategy. We continued to benefit from strong topline momentum with same-store sales of 25.4% during the quarter and 22.5% for 2020 year-to-date putting us well on our way to our 17th consecutive year of positive same store sales growth. Despite the challenging industry backdrop, we achieved 43 global net new openings during the quarter,” CEO Charlie Morrison said in a statement.
"I am thankful for the support of our team members and brand partners in achieving these extraordinary results during these difficult times. We remain focused on executing against our growth strategies and our vision of becoming a top 10 global restaurant brand.”
Wingstop has 1,308 U.S. units, all but 31 one of them franchisee-operated.
Digital chicken wing sales go up
Digital sales, fueled by the pandemic, made up 62% of Wingstop’s business during Q3. During COVID-19, the virtual chain shifted all of its locations to takeout and delivery only.
Off-premises dining is becoming increasingly popular, accounting for 27% of restaurant industry sales in 2018. With the dining rooms of many of their favorite restaurants closed during COVID-19, consumers turned to delivery options to get a break from cooking. Chicken wings have been especially popular because they travel and reheat well.
Wingstop has also been playing around with the virtual kitchen concept, another growing trend during the pandemic. The chain opened a 400-square-foot virtual kitchen in Dallas, Texas in June, part of the chain’s plan to go 100% digital. Virtual kitchens use the cooking facilities of existing restaurants to cook food sold exclusively on third-party delivery platforms, like DoorDash, Uber Eats or Grubhub.
View our continuing coverage of the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.
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