Wingstop (NASDAQ: WING) posts Q1 2026 growth despite 8.7% comp decline
Filing Impact
Filing Sentiment
Form Type
8-K
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Wingstop Inc. reported fiscal first quarter 2026 results showing growth in sales and profits despite softer traffic. System-wide sales reached $1.4 billion, up 5.9% from Q1 2025, with 97 net new openings driving unit growth of 17% and a total of 3,153 restaurants.
Total revenue rose 7.4% to $183.7 million. Net income was $29.9 million, or $1.08 per diluted share, while adjusted net income was $32.5 million and adjusted earnings per diluted share were $1.18. Adjusted EBITDA increased 9.9% to $65.4 million, reflecting margin gains and cost controls.
Domestic same store sales decreased 8.7%, mainly from lower transaction volumes amid consumer spending pressure, while domestic AUV was $2.0 million. Digital sales were strong at 72.5% of system-wide sales. The company reaffirmed 2026 guidance for 15–16% global unit growth and expects low-single digit decline in domestic same store sales.
Wingstop’s board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share, payable June 5, 2026, and the company repurchased and retired 374,324 shares at an average price of $208.08, leaving $313.4 million authorized for future buybacks.
Positive
- Profits and cash returns rising: Q1 2026 adjusted EBITDA increased 9.9% to $65.4 million and adjusted EPS reached $1.18, while the company maintained a $0.30 quarterly dividend and executed $77.9 million of share repurchases, signaling strong cash generation.
- Unit growth and long-term expansion intact: System-wide restaurants grew to 3,153 with 97 net openings and 17% unit growth, and 2026 guidance reiterates a 15–16% global unit growth rate, underscoring continued expansion potential.
Negative
- Material same store sales decline: Domestic same store sales decreased 8.7% year-over-year in Q1 2026, driven by lower transaction volumes and ongoing consumer spending pressure, weighing on performance at existing restaurants.
- Lower domestic AUV: Domestic average unit volume fell from $2.1 million to approximately $2.0 million, indicating reduced sales productivity per restaurant compared with the prior-year period.
Insights
Wingstop grows units and profits, but traffic softness shows in same store sales.
Wingstop delivered a solid profitability quarter with total revenue up 7.4% to $183.7 million and adjusted EBITDA up 9.9% to $65.4 million. System-wide sales grew 5.9% to $1.4 billion, helped by 97 net new openings and 17% unit growth.
The main pressure point is demand at existing locations: domestic same store sales fell 8.7%, driven by lower transaction volumes amid consumer spending pressure, and domestic AUV declined to about $2.0 million. Still, digital sales remain high at 72.5%, supporting order frequency and ticket size.
Management’s 2026 outlook assumes a low-single digit decline in domestic same store sales but maintains an ambitious global unit growth target of 15–16%. Investors may focus on whether traffic trends stabilize as new restaurants open and as the company executes its strategies to return to same store sales growth.
8-K Event Classification
3 items: 2.02, 8.01, 9.01
3 items
Item 2.02
Results of Operations and Financial Condition
Financial
Disclosure of earnings results, typically an earnings press release or preliminary financials.
Item 8.01
Other Events
Other
Voluntary disclosure of events the company deems important to shareholders but not covered by other items.
Item 9.01
Financial Statements and Exhibits
Exhibits
Financial statements, pro forma financial information, and exhibit attachments filed with this report.
Key Figures
Total revenue: $183.7 million
Net income: $29.9 million
Adjusted EBITDA: $65.4 million
+5 more
8 metrics
Total revenue
$183.7 million
Q1 2026, up 7.4% vs. Q1 2025
Net income
$29.9 million
Q1 2026, $1.08 diluted EPS
Adjusted EBITDA
$65.4 million
Q1 2026, up 9.9% vs. Q1 2025
Domestic same store sales growth
-8.7%
Q1 2026 vs. Q1 2025
System-wide sales
$1.4 billion
Q1 2026, up 5.9% vs. Q1 2025
Total system-wide restaurants
3,153 units
As of March 28, 2026; 97 net new openings
Quarterly dividend per share
$0.30
Declared April 28, 2026, payable June 5, 2026
Share repurchases
374,324 shares at $208.08
Repurchased and retired in Q1 2026
Key Terms
Adjusted EBITDA, domestic same store sales, asset-light, highly franchised model, SG&A expense, +2 more
6 terms
Adjusted EBITDA financial
"Adjusted EBITDA1, increased 9.9% vs. Q1 2025 to $65.4 million"
Adjusted EBITDA is a way companies measure how much money they make from their core operations, like running a business, by removing certain costs or income that aren’t part of regular business activities. It helps investors see how well a company is doing without distractions from unusual expenses or gains, making it easier to compare companies or track performance over time.
domestic same store sales financial
"Domestic same store sales decreased 8.7% vs. Q1 2025"
Domestic same store sales measure how revenue has changed at a company’s existing stores within its home country, comparing current sales to the same stores’ sales from a prior period (usually a year earlier). It matters to investors because it isolates organic demand—like checking temperature at the same locations rather than counting new ones—so it shows whether customers are buying more or less at established outlets and helps separate true growth from expansion.
asset-light, highly franchised model financial
"our asset-light, highly franchised model"
SG&A expense financial
"Selling, general & administrative (“SG&A”) expense increased $3.0 million to $34.4 million"
SG&A expense stands for selling, general and administrative expenses — the routine operating costs a company incurs that aren’t directly tied to producing goods or services, such as sales wages, advertising, office rent and executive salaries. Investors watch SG&A because it directly reduces profit and cash flow; like household bills that shrink your take-home pay, high or rising SG&A can signal heavy overhead or investment, while low SG&A relative to sales suggests more efficient operations.
global unit growth rate financial
"Global unit growth rate of 15% to 16%"
stock-based compensation expense financial
"Stock-based compensation expense of approximately $28 million."
Stock-based compensation expense is the value that a company records when it gives employees or executives shares or options to buy shares as part of their pay. It matters because it shows the true cost of paying employees this way, which can affect the company's profits and how investors see its financial health.
Earnings Snapshot
Total revenue: $183.7 million · Guidance included
Q1 2026
Total revenue
$183.7 million
+7.4% YoY
System-wide sales
$1.4 billion
+5.9% YoY
Net income
$29.9 million
down vs. $92.3 million prior-year (LPH gain impact)
Adjusted EBITDA
$65.4 million
+9.9% YoY
Domestic same store sales growth
-8.7%
vs. +0.5% in Q1 2025
Guidance
For 2026, Wingstop expects a low-single digit decline in domestic same store sales, 15–16% global unit growth, SG&A of $146–$149 million including $3 million restructuring, stock-based compensation of ~$28 million, interest expense, net of ~$43 million, and depreciation and amortization of ~$30 million.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 28, 2026
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | Commission File Number | (IRS Employer Identification No.) | ||||||
| (Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) | |||||||
(972 ) 686-6500
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
N/A
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
| Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) | |||||
| Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) | |||||
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) | |||||
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) | |||||
| Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: | ||||||||
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
| Emerging growth company | |||||
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
| Item 2.02. | Results of Operations and Financial Condition | ||||
The following information is furnished pursuant to Item 2.02, “Results of Operations and Financial Condition.” Consequently, it shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall such information be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.
On April 29, 2026, Wingstop Inc. (the “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) issued a press release reporting the Company’s financial results for its fiscal First quarter ended March 28, 2026. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The press release uses the U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) measures of net income and earnings per diluted share and the following non-GAAP financial measures: EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted net income and Adjusted earnings per diluted share. A discussion of these non-GAAP financial measures, including a discussion of the usefulness and purpose of each measure, is included below.
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are supplemental measures of our performance that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not measurements of our financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as alternatives to net income or any other performance measure derived in accordance with GAAP, or as alternatives to cash flows from operating activities as a measure of our liquidity.
We define “EBITDA” as net income before interest expense, net, income tax expense (benefit), and depreciation and amortization. We define “Adjusted EBITDA” as EBITDA further adjusted for losses on debt extinguishment and financing transactions, transaction costs, costs and fees associated with investments in our strategic initiatives, gains and losses on non-recurring transactions, certain system implementation costs, restructuring charges, and stock-based compensation expense. We present EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA because we consider them to be important supplemental measures of our performance and believe they are frequently used by securities analysts, investors, and other interested parties in the evaluation of companies in our industry. Management believes that investors’ understanding of our performance is enhanced by including these non-GAAP financial measures as a reasonable basis for comparing our ongoing results of operations. Many investors are interested in understanding the performance of our business by comparing our results from ongoing operations on a period-over-period basis and would ordinarily add back non-cash expenses such as depreciation and amortization, as well as items that are not part of normal day-to-day operations of our business.
Management uses EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:
•as a measurement of operating performance because we believe they assist management in comparing the operating performance of our restaurants on a consistent basis, as they remove the impact of items not directly resulting from our core operations;
•for planning purposes, including the preparation of our internal annual operating budget and financial projections;
•to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of our operational strategies;
•to evaluate our capacity to fund capital expenditures and expand our business; and
•to calculate incentive compensation payments for our employees, including assessing performance under our annual incentive compensation plan.
By providing these non-GAAP financial measures, together with a reconciliation to the most comparable GAAP measure, we believe we are enhancing investors’ understanding of our business and our results of operations, as well as assisting investors in evaluating how well we are executing our strategic initiatives. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation, or as an alternative to, or a substitute for, net income or other financial statement data presented in our consolidated financial statements as indicators of financial performance. Some of the limitations include, but are not limited to, the following:
•such measures do not reflect our cash expenditures, or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments;
•such measures do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs;
•such measures do not reflect the interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on our debt;
•such measures do not reflect our tax expense or the cash requirements to pay our taxes;
•although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in the future and such measures do not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements; and
•other companies in our industry may calculate such measures differently than we do, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures.
Due to these and other limitations, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as measures of discretionary cash available to us to invest in the growth of our business. We compensate for these limitations by relying primarily on our GAAP results and using these non-GAAP measures only as performance measures and supplementally. As noted in the press release attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1, Adjusted EBITDA includes adjustments for losses on debt extinguishment and financing transactions, transaction costs, costs and fees associated with investments in our strategic initiatives, gains and losses on non-recurring transactions, certain system implementation costs, and stock-based compensation expense. We believe these adjustments are appropriate because the amounts recognized can vary significantly from period-to-period, do not directly relate to the ongoing operations of our restaurants, and complicate comparisons of our internal operating results and operating results of other restaurant companies over time.
Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Earnings Per Diluted Share. Adjusted net income represents net income adjusted for losses on debt extinguishment and financing transactions, transaction costs, costs and fees associated with investments in our strategic initiatives, gains and losses on non-recurring transactions, certain system implementation costs, restructuring charges, and related tax adjustments that management believes are not indicative of the Company’s core operating results or business outlook over the long-term. Adjusted earnings per diluted share is defined as adjusted net income divided by weighted average diluted share count. Adjusted net income and adjusted earnings per diluted share are supplemental measures of operating performance that do not represent and should not be considered alternatives to net income and earnings per diluted share, as determined by GAAP. These measures have not been prepared in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Act. Management believes adjusted net income and adjusted earnings per diluted share supplement GAAP measures and enable management to more effectively evaluate the Company’s performance period-over-period and relative to competitors.
We caution investors that amounts presented in accordance with our definitions may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by our competitors because not all companies and analysts calculate certain non-GAAP measures in the same manner.
| Item 8.01. | Other Events | ||||
Quarterly Dividend
On April 28, 2026, the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.30 per share of common stock. The dividend is payable on June 5, 2026 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 15, 2026. The declaration of any future dividends is subject to the Board’s discretion.
| Item 9.01. | Financial Statements and Exhibits | ||||
| (d) | Exhibits | ||||
| 99.1 | Press release, dated April 29, 2026 (furnished pursuant to Item 2.02) | ||||
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL Document) | ||||
Signatures
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
| Wingstop Inc. | ||||||||||||||
| Date: | April 29, 2026 | By: | /s/ Alex R. Kaleida | |||||||||||
Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) | ||||||||||||||
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wingstop Inc. Reports Fiscal First Quarter Financial Results
97 Net New Openings in First Quarter, 17% Unit Growth
Dallas, April 29, 2026 - (PRNewswire) - Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ: WING) today announced financial results for the fiscal first quarter ended March 28, 2026.
“Despite the decline in same store sales, we delivered system-wide sales growth and double-digit Adjusted EBITDA growth in the quarter supported by 17% unit growth. Our results demonstrate the resiliency of our asset-light, highly franchised model.” said Michael Skipworth, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our focus in the first quarter centered upon enhancing unit economics for our brand partners and advancing our strategies that we believe will position us to return to same store sales growth. We believe 2026 is going to be a transformational year for Wingstop and remain extremely confident in the long-term opportunity in front of us as we continue to scale into a top 10 global restaurant brand.”
Q1 2026 Highlights
▪System-wide sales of $1.4 billion increased 5.9% vs. Q1 2025
▪97 net new openings
▪Domestic restaurant AUV of $2.0 million
▪Domestic same store sales decreased 8.7% vs. Q1 2025
▪Digital sales represented 72.5% of system-wide sales
▪Total revenue of $183.7 million, an increase of 7.4%, vs. Q1 2025
▪Net income of $29.9 million, or $1.08 per diluted share
▪Adjusted net income1 of $32.5 million and adjusted earnings per diluted share1 of $1.18
▪Adjusted EBITDA1, increased 9.9% vs. Q1 2025 to $65.4 million
1See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures“ and the reconciliation tables accompanying this release for a discussion and reconciliation of certain non-GAAP financial measures included in this release.
1
Key Operating Metrics
| Thirteen Weeks Ended | |||||||||||
| March 28, 2026 | March 29, 2025 | ||||||||||
| Number of system-wide restaurants open at end of period | 3,153 | 2,689 | |||||||||
| Number of domestic franchise restaurants open at end of period | 2,596 | 2,250 | |||||||||
Number of international franchise restaurants open at end of period (1) | 500 | 388 | |||||||||
| System-wide sales (in millions) | $ | 1,377 | $ | 1,300 | |||||||
| Domestic AUV (in thousands) | $ | 1,956 | $ | 2,135 | |||||||
| Domestic same store sales growth | (8.7) | % | 0.5 | % | |||||||
| Company-owned domestic same store sales growth | (2.2) | % | 1.4 | % | |||||||
| Net income (in thousands) | $ | 29,883 | $ | 92,265 | |||||||
| Adjusted net income (in thousands) | $ | 32,469 | $ | 28,316 | |||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA (in thousands) | $ | 65,403 | $ | 59,497 | |||||||
(1) Including U.S. territories.
Q1 2026 Financial Results
Total revenue for the first quarter 2026 increased to $183.7 million from $171.1 million in the prior first quarter. Royalty revenue, franchise fees and other increased $8.7 million, of which $12.2 million was due to net new franchise development and $3.4 million related to an increase in vendor rebates, partially offset by a decrease of $5.9 million due to an 8.7% decline in domestic same store sales contributed by lower transaction volumes, reflecting continued pressure on consumer spending. Advertising fees increased $1.0 million due to a 5.9% increase in system-wide sales in the first quarter 2026. Company-owned restaurant sales increased $2.9 million due to the six additional corporate stores opened or acquired since the prior year period.
Cost of sales was $24.7 million compared to $22.8 million in the prior first quarter. As a percentage of company-owned restaurant sales, cost of sales decreased to 74.9% from 76.0% in the prior first quarter. The decrease as a percentage of company-owned restaurant sales was primarily driven by a decline in food, beverage and packaging costs, reflecting a decrease in the cost of bone-in chicken wings as compared to the prior first quarter.
Selling, general & administrative (“SG&A”) expense increased $3.0 million to $34.4 million from $31.4 million in the prior first quarter. The increase in SG&A expense was primarily driven by $2.4 million in restructuring charges related to the corporate realignment announced during the fiscal first quarter 2026, partially offset by lower system implementation costs and other expenses compared to the prior year period.
The prior fiscal first quarter included investment income of $93.8 million in the prior fiscal first quarter. This was related to the $97.2 million gain on the sale of our non-controlling interest in Lemon Pepper Holdings, Ltd. (“LPH”), Wingstop’s United Kingdom master franchisee, recognized in the prior year period.
Income tax expense was $10.7 million, yielding an effective tax rate of 26.3%, comparable to 25.1% in the prior fiscal first quarter. The decrease in total tax expense is primarily due to the absence of the prior year taxable gain on the sale of our non-controlling interest in LPH.
2
Financial Outlook
The Company’s outlook is dependent on the macro-environment which is inherently difficult to predict given current high levels of uncertainty. The Company is providing updated guidance for 2026:
•Low-single digit decline in domestic same store sales growth;
•SG&A of between $146 - $149 million, which includes $3 million of restructuring charges related to corporate realignment;
•Stock-based compensation expense of approximately $28 million.
Additionally, the Company reiterates guidance for 2026:
•Global unit growth rate of 15% to 16%;
•Interest expense, net of approximately $43 million; and
•Depreciation and amortization of approximately $30 million.
Restaurant Development
As of March 28, 2026, there were 3,153 Wingstop restaurants system-wide. This included 2,653 restaurants in the United States, of which 2,596 were franchised restaurants and 57 were company-owned, and 500 franchised restaurants were in international markets, including U.S. territories. During the first quarter 2026, there were 97 net system-wide Wingstop restaurant openings.
Quarterly Dividend
In recognition of our strong cash flow generation and our commitment to returning value to stockholders, on April 28, 2026, our board of directors authorized and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share of common stock, resulting in a total dividend of approximately $8.2 million. This dividend will be paid on June 5, 2026 to stockholders of record as of May 15, 2026.
Share Repurchase
As previously announced, during the fiscal first quarter of 2026, our board of directors authorized the purchase of up to an additional $300.0 million of our outstanding shares of common stock under our existing share repurchase program.
We repurchased and retired 374,324 shares of our common stock at an average price of $208.08 per share during the first quarter of 2026. As of March 28, 2026, $313.4 million remained available under the share repurchase program previously approved by our board of directors.
Since the inception of our share repurchase program in August 2023, we have repurchased and retired 2,959,473 shares of our common stock at an average price of $252.25 per share.
3
The following definitions apply to these terms as used in this release:
Domestic average unit volume (“AUV”) consists of the average annual sales of all restaurants that have been open for a trailing 52-week period or longer. This measure is calculated by dividing sales during the applicable period for all restaurants being measured by the number of restaurants being measured. Domestic AUV includes revenue from both company-owned and franchised restaurants. Domestic AUV allows management to assess our domestic company-owned and franchised restaurant economics. Changes in domestic AUV are primarily driven by increases in same store sales and are also influenced by opening new restaurants.
Domestic same store sales reflects the change in year-over-year sales for the same store restaurant base. We define the same store restaurant base to include those restaurants open for at least 52 full weeks. This measure highlights the performance of existing restaurants, while excluding the impact of new restaurant openings and permanent closures. We review same store sales for domestic company-owned restaurants as well as system-wide domestic restaurants. Domestic same store sales growth is driven by increases in transactions and average transaction size. Transaction size increases are driven by price increases or favorable mix shift from either an increase in items purchased or shifts into higher priced items.
System-wide sales represents net sales for all of our company-owned and franchised restaurants, as reported by franchisees. This measure allows management to better assess changes in our royalty revenue, our overall store performance, the health of our brand and the strength of our market position relative to competitors. Our system-wide sales growth is driven by new restaurant openings as well as increases in same store sales.
Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income before interest expense, net, income tax expense (benefit), and depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), further adjusted for losses on debt extinguishment and financing transactions, transaction costs, costs and fees associated with investments in our strategic initiatives, gains and losses on non-recurring transactions, certain system implementation costs, certain restructuring charges, and stock-based compensation expense.
Adjusted net income is defined as net income adjusted for losses on debt extinguishment and financing transactions, transaction costs, costs and fees associated with investments in our strategic initiatives, gains and losses on non-recurring transactions, certain system implementation costs, certain restructuring charges, and related tax adjustments.
Adjusted earnings per diluted share is defined as adjusted net income divided by weighted average diluted share count.
We caution investors that amounts presented in accordance with our definitions above may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by our competitors because not all companies and analysts calculate certain non-GAAP measurements in the same manner.
4
Conference Call and Webcast
We will host a conference call today to discuss the first fiscal quarter 2026 financial results at 10:00 AM Eastern Time. The conference call can be joined telephonically by dialing 1-877-259-5243 or 1-412-317-5176 (international) and asking for the Wingstop conference call. A replay will be available two hours after the call and can be accessed by dialing 1-855-669-9658 or 1-412-317-0088 (international), then entering the replay code 4161830. The replay will be available through Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
The conference call will also be webcast live and later archived on the investor relations section of Wingstop’s corporate website at ir.wingstop.com under the ‘News & Events’ section.
About Wingstop
Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Dallas, TX, Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ: WING) operates and franchises more than 3,000 restaurants worldwide, with approximately 98% of the total restaurant count owned by brand partners. Generating over $5 billion in system-wide sales in fiscal 2025, Wingstop offers made-to-order, always fresh classic and boneless wings, tenders, and chicken sandwiches in 12 bold, distinctive flavors, alongside signature sides and iconic housemade ranch and bleu cheese dips.
Dedicated to Serving the World Flavor, Wingstop is the Official Chicken Partner of the NBA with a vision to become a Top 10 Global Restaurant Brand.
Learn more at wingstop.com or follow @Wingstop on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
To supplement our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, we use non-GAAP financial measures, including those indicated above. By providing non-GAAP financial measures, together with a reconciliation to the most comparable GAAP measure, we believe we are enhancing investors’ understanding of our business and our results of operations, as well as assisting investors in evaluating how well we are executing our strategic initiatives. These measures are not intended to be considered in isolation or as substitutes for, or superior to, financial measures prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP measures used in this press release may be different from the measures used by other companies. A reconciliation of each measure to the most directly comparable GAAP measure is available in this news release. In addition, the Current Report on Form 8-K furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) concurrent with the issuance of this press release includes a more detailed description of each of these non-GAAP financial measures, together with a discussion of the usefulness and purpose of such measures.
5
Forward-looking Statements
This news release includes statements of our expectations, intentions, plans and beliefs that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are intended to come within the safe harbor protection provided by those sections. These statements, which involve risks and uncertainties, relate to the discussion of our business strategies and our expectations concerning future operations, margins, profitability, trends, liquidity and capital resources and to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “outlook,” “guidance,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “think,” “estimate,” “seek,” “predict,” “can,” “could,” “project,” “potential” or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements are accompanied by such terms. Examples of forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, our 2026 fiscal year outlook for domestic same store sales growth, global unit growth, SG&A expense, stock-based compensation expense, interest expense, net and depreciation and amortization. These forward-looking statements are made based on expectations and beliefs concerning future events affecting us and are subject to uncertainties, risks, and factors relating to our operations and business environments, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control, that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those matters expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Please refer to the risk factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which can be found at the SEC’s website www.sec.gov. The discussion of these risks is specifically incorporated by reference into this news release.
When considering forward-looking statements in this news release or that we make in other reports or statements, you should keep in mind the cautionary statements in this news release and future reports we file with the SEC. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and we cannot predict when they may arise or how they may affect us. Any forward-looking statement in this news release speaks only as of the date on which it was made. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.
Media Contact
Kyra Harbert
Media@wingstop.com
Investor Contact
Sarah Niehaus
IR@wingstop.com
6
WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)
| March 28, 2026 | December 27, 2025 | ||||||||||
| Assets | |||||||||||
| Current assets | |||||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 128,816 | $ | 196,572 | |||||||
| Restricted cash | 25,994 | 25,994 | |||||||||
| Accounts receivable, net | 23,525 | 20,823 | |||||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other current assets | 7,689 | 7,956 | |||||||||
| Advertising fund assets, restricted | 30,921 | 16,143 | |||||||||
| Total current assets | 216,945 | 267,488 | |||||||||
| Property and equipment, net | 138,427 | 130,581 | |||||||||
| Operating lease assets | 47,909 | 48,637 | |||||||||
| Goodwill | 83,875 | 83,875 | |||||||||
| Trademarks | 32,700 | 32,700 | |||||||||
| Investments | 88,358 | 87,164 | |||||||||
| Other non-current assets, net | 40,672 | 42,964 | |||||||||
| Total assets | $ | 648,886 | $ | 693,409 | |||||||
| Liabilities and stockholders' deficit | |||||||||||
| Current liabilities | |||||||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | 9,362 | $ | 12,846 | |||||||
| Current portion of operating lease liabilities | 3,401 | 3,232 | |||||||||
| Other current liabilities | 53,056 | 49,744 | |||||||||
| Advertising fund liabilities | 30,921 | 16,143 | |||||||||
| Total current liabilities | 96,740 | 81,965 | |||||||||
| Long-term debt, net | 1,209,837 | 1,209,094 | |||||||||
| Operating lease liabilities | 57,177 | 58,080 | |||||||||
| Deferred revenues, net of current | 50,876 | 47,721 | |||||||||
| Deferred income tax liabilities, net | 33,279 | 33,142 | |||||||||
| Other non-current liabilities | 149 | 169 | |||||||||
| Total liabilities | 1,448,058 | 1,430,171 | |||||||||
| Commitments and contingencies | |||||||||||
| Stockholders' deficit | |||||||||||
Common stock, $0.01 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; 27,232,479 and 27,540,619 shares issued and outstanding as of March 28, 2026 and December 27, 2025, respectively | 272 | 275 | |||||||||
| Additional paid-in-capital | 213 | 1,529 | |||||||||
| Retained deficit | (804,285) | (744,915) | |||||||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) | 4,628 | 6,349 | |||||||||
| Total stockholders' deficit | (799,172) | (736,762) | |||||||||
| Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit | $ | 648,886 | $ | 693,409 | |||||||
7
WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(amounts in thousands, except per share data)
| Thirteen Weeks Ended | |||||||||||
| March 28, 2026 | March 29, 2025 | ||||||||||
| (Unaudited) | (Unaudited) | ||||||||||
| Revenue: | |||||||||||
| Royalty revenue, franchise fees and other | $ | 87,470 | $ | 78,775 | |||||||
| Advertising fees | 63,269 | 62,272 | |||||||||
| Company-owned restaurant sales | 32,986 | 30,047 | |||||||||
| Total revenue | 183,725 | 171,094 | |||||||||
| Costs and expenses: | |||||||||||
Cost of sales (1) | 24,716 | 22,835 | |||||||||
| Advertising expenses | 67,311 | 65,795 | |||||||||
| Selling, general and administrative | 34,449 | 31,440 | |||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 6,841 | 6,228 | |||||||||
| Loss on disposal of assets | — | 6,535 | |||||||||
| Total costs and expenses | 133,317 | 132,833 | |||||||||
| Operating income | 50,408 | 38,261 | |||||||||
| Interest expense, net | 9,764 | 8,910 | |||||||||
| Investment (income) expense | 72 | (93,839) | |||||||||
| Income before income tax expense | 40,572 | 123,190 | |||||||||
| Income tax expense | 10,689 | 30,925 | |||||||||
| Net income | $ | 29,883 | $ | 92,265 | |||||||
| Earnings per share | |||||||||||
| Basic | $ | 1.09 | $ | 3.25 | |||||||
| Diluted | $ | 1.08 | $ | 3.24 | |||||||
| Weighted average shares outstanding | |||||||||||
| Basic | 27,481 | 28,385 | |||||||||
| Diluted | 27,593 | 28,509 | |||||||||
| Dividends per share | $ | 0.30 | $ | 0.27 | |||||||
(1) Cost of sales includes all operating expenses of company-owned restaurants, including advertising expenses, but excludes depreciation and amortization, which are presented separately.
8
WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Unaudited Supplemental Information
Cost of Sales Margin Analysis
(amounts in thousands)
| Thirteen Weeks Ended | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| March 28, 2026 | March 29, 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| In dollars | As a % of company-owned restaurant sales | In dollars | As a % of company-owned restaurant sales | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Cost of sales: | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Food, beverage and packaging costs | $ | 11,794 | 35.8 | % | $ | 11,241 | 37.4 | % | |||||||||||||||
| Labor costs | 7,889 | 23.9 | % | 7,153 | 23.8 | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Other restaurant operating expenses | 5,869 | 17.8 | % | 5,191 | 17.3 | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Vendor rebates | (836) | (2.5) | % | (750) | (2.5) | % | |||||||||||||||||
| Total cost of sales | $ | 24,716 | 74.9 | % | $ | 22,835 | 76.0 | % | |||||||||||||||
9
WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Unaudited Supplemental Information
Restaurant Count
| Thirteen Weeks Ended | |||||||||||
| March 28, 2026 | March 29, 2025 | ||||||||||
| Domestic Franchised Activity | |||||||||||
| Beginning of period | 2,529 | 2,154 | |||||||||
| Openings | 67 | 96 | |||||||||
| Closures | — | — | |||||||||
| Restaurants end of period | 2,596 | 2,250 | |||||||||
| Domestic Company-Owned Activity | |||||||||||
| Beginning of period | 57 | 50 | |||||||||
| Openings | — | 1 | |||||||||
| Closures | — | — | |||||||||
| Restaurants end of period | 57 | 51 | |||||||||
| Total Domestic Restaurants | 2,653 | 2,301 | |||||||||
International Franchised Activity(1) | |||||||||||
| Beginning of period | 470 | 359 | |||||||||
| Openings | 33 | 30 | |||||||||
| Closures | (3) | (1) | |||||||||
| Restaurants end of period | 500 | 388 | |||||||||
| Total System-wide Restaurants | 3,153 | 2,689 | |||||||||
(1) Includes U.S. territories.
10
WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Non-GAAP Financial Measures - EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA
(Unaudited)
(amounts in thousands)
| Thirteen Weeks Ended | |||||||||||
| March 28, 2026 | March 29, 2025 | ||||||||||
| Net income | $ | 29,883 | $ | 92,265 | |||||||
| Interest expense, net | 9,764 | 8,910 | |||||||||
| Income tax expense | 10,689 | 30,925 | |||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 6,841 | 6,228 | |||||||||
| EBITDA | $ | 57,177 | $ | 138,328 | |||||||
| Additional adjustments: | |||||||||||
Transaction costs (a) | — | 497 | |||||||||
Loss on sale of building (b) | — | 6,534 | |||||||||
Gain on sale of investment (c) | — | (92,485) | |||||||||
System implementation costs (d) | 546 | 1,311 | |||||||||
Amortization of capitalized system implementation costs (e) | 467 | — | |||||||||
Restructuring charges (f) | 2,390 | — | |||||||||
Stock-based compensation expense (g) | 4,823 | 5,312 | |||||||||
| Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 65,403 | $ | 59,497 | |||||||
(a) Represents non-recurring transaction costs that are not part of our ongoing operations and were incurred to execute the sale
and subsequent reinvestment of the Company’s unconsolidated equity method investment in Lemon Pepper Holdings, Ltd.
(“LPH”), Wingstop’s United Kingdom master franchisee, during the fiscal first quarter 2025; all transaction costs are
included in Selling, general and administrative on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
(b) Represents a non-recurring loss on sale of an office building during the fiscal first quarter 2025, which was included in Loss
on disposal of assets on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
(c) Represents a non-recurring gain related to the sale of the Company’s unconsolidated equity method investment in LPH during the fiscal first quarter 2025, which was included in Investment income, net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
(d) System implementation costs represent non-recurring expenses incurred related to the development and implementation of new enterprise resource planning, human capital management, and global development technology, which are included in Selling, general and administrative on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
(e) Represents amortization associated with capitalized cloud computing costs related to our system implementation, which are included in Selling, general and administrative on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
(f) Represents certain restructuring charges related to corporate realignment announced on January 13, 2026.
(g) Includes non-cash, stock-based compensation, net of forfeitures.
11
WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Non-GAAP Financial Measures - Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS
(Unaudited)
(amounts in thousands, except per share data)
| Thirteen Weeks Ended | |||||||||||
| March 28, 2026 | March 29, 2025 | ||||||||||
| Numerator: | |||||||||||
| Net income | $ | 29,883 | $ | 92,265 | |||||||
| Adjustments: | |||||||||||
Transaction costs (a) | — | 497 | |||||||||
Loss on disposal of building (b) | — | 6,534 | |||||||||
Gain on sale of investment (c) | — | (92,485) | |||||||||
System implementation costs (d) | 546 | 1,311 | |||||||||
Amortization of capitalized system implementation costs (e) | 467 | — | |||||||||
Restructuring charges (f) | 2,390 | — | |||||||||
Tax effect of adjustments (g) | (817) | 20,194 | |||||||||
| Adjusted net income | $ | 32,469 | $ | 28,316 | |||||||
| Denominator: | |||||||||||
| Weighted-average shares outstanding - diluted | 27,593 | 28,509 | |||||||||
| Adjusted earnings per diluted share | $ | 1.18 | $ | 0.99 | |||||||
(a) Represents non-recurring transaction costs that are not part of our ongoing operations and were incurred to execute the sale and subsequent reinvestment of the Company’s unconsolidated equity method investment in LPH, the Company’s United Kingdom master franchisee, during the 2025 fiscal year; all transaction costs are included in Selling, general and administrative on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
(b) Represents a non-recurring loss on sale of an office building during the fiscal first quarter 2025, which was included in Loss
on disposal of assets on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
(c) Represents a non-recurring gain related to the sale of the Company’s unconsolidated equity method investment in LPH during the fiscal first quarter 2025, which was included in Investment income, net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
(d) System implementation costs represent non-recurring expenses incurred related to the development and implementation of new enterprise resource planning, human capital management, and global development technology, which are included in Selling, general and administrative on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
(e) Represents amortization associated with capitalized cloud computing costs related to our system implementation, which are included in Selling, general and administrative on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
(f) Represents certain restructuring charges related to corporate realignment announced on January 13, 2026.
(g) Represents the tax effect of the aforementioned adjustments to reflect corporate income taxes at an assumed effective tax rate of 24% for the thirteen weeks ended March 28, 2026, which includes provisions for U.S. federal income taxes, and assumes the respective statutory rates for applicable state and local jurisdictions.
12
FAQ
How did Wingstop (WING) perform financially in Q1 2026?
Wingstop’s total revenue grew 7.4% to $183.7 million in Q1 2026, with net income of $29.9 million or $1.08 per diluted share. Adjusted net income reached $32.5 million and adjusted earnings per diluted share were $1.18, supported by unit growth and cost controls.
What happened to Wingstop’s same store sales in Q1 2026?
Domestic same store sales at Wingstop declined 8.7% year-over-year in Q1 2026. Management attributed the drop mainly to lower transaction volumes amid continued pressure on consumer spending, even as system-wide sales and adjusted EBITDA still increased compared with Q1 2025.
How many restaurants does Wingstop (WING) operate, and how fast is it growing?
As of March 28, 2026, Wingstop had 3,153 restaurants system-wide, including 2,653 domestic and 500 international locations. The company added 97 net new restaurants in Q1 2026, reflecting 17% year-over-year unit growth and supporting its asset-light, highly franchised model.
What guidance did Wingstop provide for 2026?
For 2026, Wingstop expects a low-single digit decline in domestic same store sales, SG&A of $146–$149 million including about $3 million of restructuring charges, and stock-based compensation of roughly $28 million. It reiterated 15–16% global unit growth and net interest expense around $43 million.
What dividend is Wingstop paying and when is it due?
Wingstop’s board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.30 per share of common stock. The dividend is payable on June 5, 2026, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 15, 2026, continuing the company’s cash return program.
How much stock did Wingstop repurchase in Q1 2026?
During Q1 2026, Wingstop repurchased and retired 374,324 shares of common stock at an average price of $208.08 per share. As of March 28, 2026, $313.4 million remained available under the share repurchase program authorized by the board of directors.
What were Wingstop’s key non-GAAP metrics in Q1 2026?
Wingstop reported Q1 2026 adjusted EBITDA of $65.4 million, up 9.9% from Q1 2025, adjusted net income of $32.5 million, and adjusted earnings per diluted share of $1.18. These measures exclude items like restructuring charges, system implementation costs, and certain non-recurring gains or losses.