By John Lynds
The popular Texas-based chicken wing joint that has made a name for itself among foodies as a place that serves up some great wings and dipping sauces is coming to East Boston.
Wingstop, who recently opened its first Boston-area location in Medford, will open in Central Square. Presently, the Central Square and Wingstop location are under construction and when finished, the new fast food restaurant will add another lunch and dinner option in the newly rehabbed square.
Wingstop began in Dallas and was acquired by Roark Capital in 2010. Wingstop was touted by Technomic as one of the 10 fastest growing restaurant concepts in the United States.
Since opening its first location in Texas in 1994, Wingstop has sold over 2 billion wings and currently has more than 650 restaurants open or in development in 34 states and Mexico.
Wingstop’s sole focus is on chicken wings according to its menu and website. Patrons will be able to chose between classic wings, boneless strips or crispy tenders. Then patrons can chose from an wide variety of sauces and rubs like, Atomic Mango Habanero, Cajun, Louisiana Rub, Hickory Smoked BBQ, Lemon Pepper, Garlic Parmesan, Hawaiian or Teriyaki.
Wingstop will also serve up sides like fries, beans and coleslaw fresh as well as drinks that can be ordered as a combo with the wings.
“We believe the partnership between Wingstop and Roark is a perfect fit,” said Wingstop CEO James Flynn. “Our ability to leverage Roark’s strong background and deep resources within the restaurant and franchise industry will allow us to more aggressively grow the Wingstop brand and also provide new opportunities for our existing franchisees.”
Managing Director at Roark Erik Morris added, “Wingstop is a highly differentiated category leader with strong unit-level economics and broad consumer appeal. We are excited to be partnering with Jim and his team and look forward to supporting the company’s growth initiatives.”