Wingstop Reports Q1 Same-Store Sales Increases Despite Coronavirus

To the shortlist of foodservice brands thriving despite the coronavirus pandemic and the attendant financial crisis, add Wingstop.

According to an article in QSR, the fast-casual franchise had a strong first quarter of 2020, even after the COVID-19 pandemic forced states across the country to shutter dining rooms.

Domestic comps started strong with a boost of 11.5 percent through January 25, and they grew 10 percent from January 26 to February 22.

Although the brand saw overall transactions slide as the virus became more prevalent, a rise in average ticket offset those losses. From February 23 to March 14, domestic comps grew 8.5 percent, and from March 15 to March 28 (Wingstop closed U.S. dining rooms on March 16), comps grew 8.9 percent.

The brand’s success relative to other fast-casual restaurants during the coronavirus crisis can surely be attributed to its reliance on off-premise services, which represented 80 percent of the business’s sales even before the pandemic struck. 

As competing brands scale back operations, Wingstop is finding new opportunities to leverage its relative strength.

Domestically, Wingstop has taken advantage of the increased demand at grocery stores. The rise in demand has caused an excess supply of chicken and has allowed operators to purchase product at lower prices.

The brand’s philanthropic arm, Wingstop Charities, has donated 80,000 meals to children impacted by COVID-19 and will donate $1 million to the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund.

Read the full article at qsr.com.