While Wingstop is encouraged that signs are pointing to the rebuilding of chicken wing inventories, it also sees benefit in purchasing whole birds.
Speaking during the company’s quarterly earnings call on November 3, Wingstop Chairman and CEO Charlie Morrison talked about the success of its Thighstop campaign, in which it marketed and sold boneless chicken thighs as chicken wing supplies were limited, and how campaign’s success might open up further opportunities.
“We believe that the key to unlocking a less volatile food cost for the brand is predicated on the utilization of more parts of the chicken. At the end of the second quarter this year, we launched a virtual brand called Thighstop,” Morrison said. “In addition to what we’re calling bone-in thighs, we’re also offering thigh bites which are a juicier flavorful complement to our traditional boneless wings. Just s we pioneered wings as the center of the plate, we also believe we can make thighs a center-of-the-plate item and make them a fan favorite for a long time to come.”
Initially only offered through the thighstop.com and in DoorDash’s marketplace, Wingstop in September integrated the thigh products into its regular menu, and doubled its sales in the process. That allowed Wingstop to further its progress of buying more parts of the bird, said Morrison.
“Staying true to our entrepreneurial spirit, we are evaluating every phase of the chicken supply chain and looking at others even outside our industry to take a page from successful playbooks like those of the retail industry to be disruptive and gain greater control over our destiny.”
Answering a question asked by Morgan Stanley analyst John Glass, Morrison said he believes the Thighstop strategy has a “meaningful effect on our ability to secure entire birds, instead of just buying the wings and some of the breast meat off of the product from the spot markets.”
