Fast food chain 'better than KFC' will open 15 branches this year – list of sites
FRIED chicken fans will be excited after a fast food chain announced it will open more branches this year.
Wingstop, which currently operates 39 locations in the UK, will open a further 15 in 2024.
Lemon Pepper Holdings, which manages the fast food chain's UK portfolio, said the move would create up to 750 jobs.
The US hospitality brand said this is its biggest year of expansion since Wingstop launched in Britain six years ago.
It also revealed the locations of nine of the 15 locations opening this year. Six of the locations are still under negotiation.
This is the full list of confirmed sites opening this year:
- Hounslow, London
- Clapham High Street, London
- Watford
- Croydon Valley Retail Park, London
- Wood Green, London
- Lakeside shopping centre, Essex
- Westfield Stratford City, London
- Merry Hill, Dudley
- Leeds
Wingstop is known for selling everything from wings and tenders to burgers and made-to-order sides.
It already has branches in the UK, including in Cardiff, London, Manchester and Glasgow.
The new 15 locations will be launched in high streets, retail parks and shopping centres.
Tom Grogan, co-founder of Lemon Pepper Holdings, said 2024 was the chain's “biggest year of growth ever”.
“We are proud to open across the country and create up to 750 new jobs,” he added.
“In just five short years as a company, we have certainly made our mark by offering the tastiest wings in the business, in addition to an authentic and customized dining experience.
“There is tremendous momentum and we are just getting started. We can't wait for more parts of Britain to taste our delicious food.”
Lemon Pepper Holdings isn't the only American brand to announce expansion into Britain in recent years.
Fellow chicken chain Popeyes last week unveiled rapid expansion plans to almost double in size by 2024, creating around 2,000 jobs.
The brand, best known for its fried chicken sandwiches, said it will open more than 30 new locations across the UK this year, including in Birmingham, Aberdeen and Swansea.
It comes after the fast food chain first launched in Britain at the end of 2021.
In September last year, beloved US fast food chain Chick-fil-A confirmed it would be opening UK branches in the coming years.
The fried chicken chain said it would open the shutters of its first store in early 2025, and then five more in the following two years.
The announcement came after the chain closed its very first store in Britain, just six months after opening.
The Reading branch opened in 2019, but the city center branch closed in 2020 after its lease expired.
It's not just American chains that are opening branches in Great Britain.
Last week, major retailer WHSmith announced plans to open 15 new stores in the UK.
But the new locations will not open on the high street, but will instead shutter airports, train stations and hospitals.
In addition, B&M will open 17 new locations in January and February, including in former Wilko stores.
Asda also plans to open 21 new locations before the end of the month.
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