Wingstop chain gets a new lookWingstop chain gets a new look

Ron Ruggless

DALLAS Wingstop Restaurants Inc. is rolling out a new design, its first wholesale change since the 433-unit wing chain was founded in 1994.

The new look, which retains the chain's aviation theme, shaves about a week off the eight-week construction schedule and provides a more consistent decor package, said John McDonald, Wingstop’s vice president of design and construction.

“It’s an art deco, circa 1930s-'40s-'50s theme,” McDonald said. “Our main decor is aviation. The older style of the restaurant was warm and cozy, it didn’t really reflect any particular era. This has a much tighter grip on the whole theme of the store.”

Wingstop restaurants have traditionally incorporated pre-jet aviation memorabilia into their decor, a practice that McDonald said has become increasingly challenging as the chain grows.

“Those became very hard to find. We depleted every aviation salvage yard in the area," he said. "Now the decor features a very large wall mural of a B-17 bomber, and the rest is framed art like Amelia Earhart and others who have made big dents in aviation.”

In addition, standard-issue tables have been replaced with aviation-theme laminated tops that feature a stainless-steel, diner-style edge.

McDonald said the cost of the new Wingstop design remains “within a few thousand dollars” of previous prototypes, with a few added expenses offset by reduced labor in the tighter construction plan. Typical construction costs range from $130,000 to $294,000, depending on the store's size. Wingstop units generally cover 1,500 to 1,800 square feet with an average of 40 seats, though some units offer only carryout.

The new design has been incorporated into nine units in California and Texas and will be featured in a new restaurant set to open in December in the Denver suburb of Highlands Ranch, Colo.

Older stores will be offered the opportunity to upgrade to the new design, with several levels of investment, the company said.

The design was a collaborative effort between Katy Diamond Associates in Scottsdale, Ariz., and Wingstop’s corporate design and construction team.

Contact Ron Ruggless at [email protected].