As cities make a gradual recovery from the setbacks induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, chicken wing chain Wingstop Inc has decided to pursue a rapid expansion in heavily populated urban areas, with the emphasis of its plan being placed on central business districts.
The rapidly growing restaurant company is currently looking to open 25 locations in New York City, with its first target being a “ghost kitchen” for delivery only in the borough of Manhattan. Chief Executive Charles Morrison revealed during a quarterly earnings call with analysts that the company is working to open this location “as fast as we can”.
During the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, restaurants located in the usually-bustling city centers were hit hard due to commuters being restricted to the confines of their homes in suburban areas. This resulted in a strategic shift for many restaurant chains, with the introduction of drive-thrus and pick-up lanes in suburbs across the United States.
With the return to regular life amid eased restrictions and mass vaccination rollouts, restaurant companies are shifting their sights back to urban markets, which have shown positive growth trends for the first time since the pandemic outbreak. Hopping on board this trend is Wingstop, which expects new unit growth of 12% in 2021.
