The brand is targeting 10,000 units long-term.

In a preview of August’s upcoming QSR 50, it was not Starbucks (as was the case in recent years), Chipotle, 7 Brew, Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell, Dutch Bros, or any other buzzing restaurant brand clocking in as the fastest-growing in the U.S.—it was Wingstop, by nearly 100 locations.

Despite a 2025 that didn’t lack for challenges, the brand lifted by 382 stores domestically to reach 2,586 restaurants, 2,529 of which were franchised.

The Top 5 (year-over-year net domestic growth, year-end 2025)

Wingstop: 382
Chipotle: 294
7 Brew: 281
Jersey Mike’s: 238
Dunkin’: 231
When Wingstop declared after its IPO in Q2 2015, there 785 systemwide units divided between 714 domestic and 52 international.

Wingstop ended fiscal 2025 with 3,056 total units (470 of them international). Systemwide sales over this close-to-a-decade span have climbed to $5.3 billion.

The brand went from 2,000 to 3,000 restaurants in just more than two years and, when it opened its 3,000th in fall 2025, had debuted roughly 800 in 24 months to reach 47 U.S. states and 15 countries. More than 70 brand partners expanded their Wingstop footprint in one quarter that year.

Stretching to 2014—the calendar before Wingstop went public—average-unit volumes were a shade over $1 million at $1.073 million through 693 stores. That’s hiked to $2 million domestically.

And the wide goal for the 1994-founded brand, which is about 98 percent franchised, is to hit 10,000 stores and become a Top 10 global chain. In the U.S., it’s currently No. 15 by systemwide sales ($5.34 billion), looking up at Raising Cane’s ($5.487 billion), Popeyes ($5.698 billion), Panera ($5.894 billion), Panda Express ($6.472 billion), Subway ($9.2 billion), Domino’s ($9.953 billion), Burger King ($11.074 billion), Chipotle ($11.679 billion), Wendys ($11.898 billion), Dunkin’ ($13.106 billion), Taco Bell ($17.247 billion), Chick-fil-A ($23.918 billion), Starbucks ($30.250 billion), and McDonald’s ($55.061 billion).

Here is a look at how this all stacked up in 2024. Wingstop that year was the fourth-fastest growing brand at net 278 units (to note, QSR did not include Krispy Krunchy Chicken in the latest edition of the QSR 50; by that change, Wingstop would have been third). Starbucks was well ahead of the field at 589 net growth but retracted in the U.S. by 75 restaurants this past year as it continues to retrench.

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Wingstop’s expansion of 382 followed lifts of 278 and 205 in 2024 and 2023, respectively. It has ballooned its domestic franchised count from 1,678 to 2,529 over that span. The company-run figure tallied by seven in 2025 to reach 57 and is up from 43 at the start of 2023.

One of the more impressive facts of this chart is Wingstop’s 384 openings in 2025 coincided with just four stores ceasing operations. Wingstop hasn’t terminated a franchise unit in at least three years and has ceased five total (none in 2024 and one in 2023). Over that time, it’s reacquired 12 from franchisees as well.

So, all counted, Wingstop from 2023–2025 opened 868 franchised restaurants and shuttered five.

The largest franchised Wingstop market year-end 2025 was California, which saw its footprint pop from 376 to 457 since 2023. Wingstop’s homebase of Texas follows at 428, a rise from 405.

With company-run units, one closed last year—the first in three years—and three opened. The brand sold seven to franchisees in 2024 and one in 2023. It didn’t refranchise any restaurants in 2025.

This coming year could prove robust, too. Wingstop has 378 new franchise openings on the docket for 2026 alongside a couple of company openings (gross development).

It claims 56 franchise agreements signed without an outlet opened.

That expansion in 2026 will be led by 42 openings in Florida. California follows at 39, Texas at 22, and New York at 20.

Florida, which has scaled from 126 units to 171 over the past three years, is lining up as a major target for Wingstop. It has the most franchise agreements signed today at 16. California touts 10.

So far in 2026, Wingstop opened a net of 97 restaurants globally in Q1 at a more than 17 percent rate, year-over-year. It had 67 domestic franchised openings (compared to 96 in Q1 2025) and zero closures to reach 2,596 stateside locations.

The international side opened 33 restaurants and closed three to exit at 500. Overall, Wingstop entered Q2 with 3,153 global venues, up from 2,689 a year ago.

Wingstop in Q1 guided global unit growth of 15–16 percent for the full year. The brand said it has more than 2,200 restaurant commitments under development agreements.

Delving into store-level performance, average annual net sales in 2025 for stores that operated the full year, franchised and corporate (a pool of 2,171), was $2.020 million. AUVs have grown nearly $500,000 over the last few years, although it’s leveled of late.

And the brand’s $2 million performance comes on a roughly $580,000 upfront investment to build a Wingstop. Most operators, on average, the company said previously, are reaching paybacks of less than two years.

Forty-three percent of franchised stores exceeded the $2.02 million number (901). Sixty-two percent of corporate restaurants (34) did the same.

Median annual net sales in 2025 for all Wingstops operating for the measured period was $1.904 million. The store with the highest annual net sales achieved $5.042 million. The lowest, $584,584.

Average annual net sales for 2,116 franchises were $2.007 million. Median annual net sales for those restaurants were $1.891 million.

For corporate stores, annual net sales averaged $2.496 million and median annual net sales $2.411 million. The highest-performing company-run restaurant took in $4.038 million. The lowest, $1.127 million.

Wingstop’s has a long-view goal of hitting $3 million AUVs. Last year’s overall result was down a bit from $2.1 million in 2024.

Shopping center Wingstops typically occupy 1,200–2,000 square feet of leased retail space. The brand targets in-line sites in urban or suburban commercial areas.

As noted earlier, Wingstop’s 2025 was rocky at times. Same-store sales turned negative for the first time in 22 years (drop of 3.3 percent for the year and 5.8 percent in Q4).

That red comp continued into 2026, with same-store sales sliding 8.7 percent. Following a prior-year result of 0.5 percent, Wingstop’s two-year stack came opened the year at negative 8.2 percent. AUVs were $2 million.

The brand’s results, however, remain a reaction to challenged market conditions as well as its own track record. Q1 2024’s same-store sales surged 21.6 percent on AUVs of $1.9 million. So, Wingstop is still up 13.4 percent across three years. And going back further, Wingstop’s Q1 2024 lapped a 20.1 percent gain in Q1 2023 when AUVs were $1.7 million.

Management said 2026 started with weather-related closures (more than 700 units temporarily shutting down) and lower-income diners pulling back—a group that mixes 25 percent of Wingstop’s guest base. The chain also credited rising gas prices for tepid traffic.

If not for these external points, Wingstop told investors, Q1 would have “broadly been in line” with expectations.

The chain expects low single-digit same-store sales growth for the full year and is eyeing the second half of the year for a return to growth.

Wingstop will report Q2 performance on July 29.

While the brand weathers macroeconomic hurdles and embraces more growth, it’s focusing on three brand-specific strategies. One is improving operations through its Wingstop Smart Kitchen, the rollout of a new loyalty program, Club Wingstop, and growing reach to new customers. More on those initiatives here.

Source https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/wingstop-was-the-fastest-growing-restaurant-in-america-last-year/