Wingstop CEO Michael Skipworth isn't worried about growing wing competition
Despite a tough first quarter, he is confident in tailwinds such as the Club Wingstop loyalty launch and accelerated menu innovation.
July 10, 2026
Wingstop’s first quarter results certainly weren’t anything to write home about. Indeed, the chain’s 8.7% same-store sales decline was its worst quarterly performance since going public in 2015.
But CEO Michael Skipworth sees plenty of upside in the coming quarters to reiterate confidence in the company’s strategy. Of course, his job is to have such confidence, but a visible tailwind does exist from the recent launch of the chain’s first loyalty program, called Club Wingstop.
In an interview about a month after that launch, Skipworth said he’s “very excited” about the program’s effectiveness so far, adding that the company is ahead of internal enrollment metrics.
“We came at loyalty from a different direction than any other brand. We didn’t launch it to acquire data. We already had that (from a high digital sales mix). Our heavy focus is signups,” Skipworth. “Over half of active guests are now enrolled and engaging. Forty percent of (signups were) new guests and that’s without marketing support. Those are encouraging results.”
Signups indicate a widening of the “top of the funnel,” or the acquisition of new guests, which is one of Wingstop’s biggest objectives as it targets ambitious growth targets of about 6,000 U.S. restaurants, from just over 2,500 now. That expansion, coupled with the new loyalty program creates a bit of a virtuous cycle; Skipworth said having a Wingstop nearby is a major driver of new guest acquisition.
“And (new guests are) also who we’re targeting through the program,” he said.
Wingstop is also reaching new guests through new channels, such as live sports events and streaming services. Skipworth said the company recently reallocated its ad spend toward such channels and has experienced “an incredible amount of success leaning into live sports.”
“For the NBA specifically … That’s where the eyeballs are and the most efficiency. We saw the distribution of games become fragmented and eyeballs migrate away from linear to more streaming and continued growth within streaming,” Skipworth said. “Responding to where the consumer is going drove us to allocate more to streaming and online video and social.”
Of course, top-of-the-funnel growth won’t mean anything if Wingstop doesn’t execute in-store or with its product. On the operations side, the chain is relying on its Smart Kitchen platform to speed up service and create more efficiencies.
On the product side, the company is accelerating menu innovation with unique flavors such as Citrus Mojo and Sweet Heat Chamoy featuring Tajín. This accelerated innovation is also fueling Skipworth’s confidence, particularly as competition in the chicken category continues to intensify.
The work to differentiate
That competition isn’t expected to slow down anytime soon, especially on the heels of Popeyes’ upgraded wings, McDonald’s wing test, and as Casey’s — one of the largest convenience store chains — adds wings. Casey’s has experience gobbling up market share in the pizza category, siphoning sales away from Pizza Hut in particular.
Skipworth is the opposite of worried.
“This isn’t McDonald’s first foray into wings. Popeyes has been going at it for a while,” he said. “When brands jump into wings or start to promote wings, we’ve historically seen a benefit to our business. It creates more awareness around wings, particularly around wings as a center-of-the-plate occasion ore more routine versus special occasions.”
Wingstop often refers to itself as a category of one and that will continue despite more players jumping in.
“Anybody can serve chicken, but for us, it’s flavor first. The way we drive existing guests and intrigue new guests is with flavor and innovation,” Skipworth said. “If someone is thinking of wings, there isn’t a decision tree because no one can match our flavor and quality. We have moats around our business.”
Overcoming Q1
Some of those moats were compromised during Q1, as the company contended with a struggling low-income consumer who overindexes with the brand. Skipworth said the company’s recovery will come from its marketing, operations, and innovation efforts. There may also be some tweaks with its value positioning.
“We may need to augment our messaging a little bit, but couple the quality to price-per-head and Wingstop stacks up with any (value offering) out there,” he said. “It’s important we’re messaging that to our guests the right way while continuing to bring new news.
“Innovation is the number one decision maker for existing and new guests and I’m excited about our pipeline and things like Club Wingstop. We’re just getting started and I’m super excited about how those things can drive engagement with our guests.”
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
Follow her on TikTok: @aliciakelso
About the Author
Alicia Kelso
Executive Editor, Nation's Restaurant News
Alicia Kelso is the executive editor of Nation's Restaurant News. She began covering the restaurant industry in 2010 for QSRweb.com, FastCasual.com, and PizzaMarketplace.com. When her son was born, she left the industry to pursue a role in higher education, but swiftly returned after realizing how much she missed the space. In filling that void, Alicia added a contributor role at Restaurant Dive and a senior contributor role at Forbes.
Her work has appeared in publications around the world, including Forbes Asia, NPR, Bloomberg, The Seattle Times, Crain's Chicago, Good Morning America, and Franchise Asia Magazine.
Alicia holds a degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University, where she competed on the women's swim team. In addition to cheering for the BGSU Falcons, Alicia is a rabid Michigan fan and will talk about college football with anyone willing to engage. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her wife and son.
Follow her on TikTok @aliciakelso
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