US chicken wing franchise Wingstop is set to open its first location in Ireland at Liffey Valley Shopping Centre this winter.
The Dublin restaurant is expected to be open before Christmas. As well as providing a dine-in facility, customers will be able to avail of a delivery option through Deliveroo.
The franchise has “ambitious plans to open more locations across the country”, with 20 locations expected to be opened across Ireland in the next seven years.
Wingstop is a US company which began as a single restaurant in 1994 in Texas. Within three years, more restaurants emerged as the brand was franchised. It now has more than 3,000 restaurants across the US, Mexico, Central America, the UK, France and southeast Asia.
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It is known for its chicken products in addition to “signature” sauces and seasonings but also serves burgers, fries, milkshakes and churros.
A representative for the brand said Wingstop is “excited” to launch in Ireland and that they “know it will prove to be a hit with Irish customers”.
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The company said it aims to provide training and development programmes for its staff, noting they “will have the chance to build meaningful careers, with leadership opportunities and the ongoing support they need to succeed”.
“We are delighted to be partnering with Wingstop on the opening of their first ever eatery in Ireland,” said Maeve Foley, the director of asset management at Hines Ireland, which manages the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre.
Ms Foley said Wingstop is an “exciting operator that will complement our extensive food and beverage offering”.
The location will be operated by Lemon Pepper Holdings, which is majority-owned by investment firm Sixth Street, as the master franchisee for Wingstop in Britain and Ireland.
Lemon Pepper Holdings opened their first location in the UK in 2018 and has now grown to 75 Wingstop sites with over 3,000 people employed.
The group behind Wingstop UK generated revenue of £125 million (€144 million) in a nine-month period to the end of 2024. This represented a boost on the £84.7 million made the year prior.
Pretax profits also improved from £4.1 million in the 12-month period ending in March 2024, to £13.7 million by the end of the year. The company said this was “due to strong sales coupled with greater efficiencies over cost controls”.
