Q1 2026 Wingstop Inc Earnings Call Transcript
Key Points
- Wingstop Inc (WING) reported double-digit adjusted EBITDA growth and opened 97 net new restaurants, translating into 17% unit growth.
- The Wingstop Smart Kitchen initiative is showing measurable improvements in speed, accuracy, and consistency, with a 16-point improvement in targeted speed of service during peak periods.
- The launch of Club Wingstop, a new loyalty program, is showing promising results in pilot markets with improved retention, higher reactivation of lapsed users, and increased engagement.
- Wingstop Inc (WING) continues to expand its global footprint with strong performance in new markets like Ireland and Thailand, and plans to enter India in 2026.
- The company maintains a strong development pipeline with over 2,200 restaurant commitments, showcasing confidence from brand partners in the long-term growth of the brand.
- Same-store sales declined by 8.7% in Q1, attributed to atypical winter weather and elevated gas prices impacting lower-income consumers.
- The company has updated its full-year outlook to anticipate same-store sales to be down low single-digits, reflecting ongoing consumer pressure.
- Despite operational improvements, the full benefits of the Wingstop Smart Kitchen have not yet scaled across the entire system.
- There is a concern about the impact of elevated gas prices and macroeconomic factors on the core consumer, which could affect near-term performance.
- Franchisees face challenges with the current macroeconomic environment, although unit economics remain strong.
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for standing by. Welcome to Wingstop, Inc.'s fiscal first quarter 2026 earnings conference call. (Operator Instructions) Please note that this conference is being recorded today, Wednesday, April 29, 2026.
On the call today are Michael Skipworth, President and Chief Executive Officer; Alex Kaleida, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; and Sarah Niehaus, Senior Director of Investor Relations.
I would now like to turn the conference over to Sarah. Please go ahead.
Thank you and welcome to the fiscal first quarter 2026 earnings conference call for Wingstop.
Our results were published earlier this morning and are available on our Investor Relations website at ir.wingstop.com. Our discussion today includes forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from what
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