Wingstop, the quick-service chicken chain which is Britain’s fastest-growing restaurant operator, is hoisting a “for sale” sign over its UK business.
Sky News has learnt that the company, which is majority-owned by the trio of entrepreneurs who brought it to Britain in 2018, has hired Goldman Sachs to find new owners.
City sources said the sale had been initiated in response to unsolicited expressions of interest from potential buyers.
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Goldman is understood to have begun issuing information about Wingstop UK – whose parent company is called Lemon Pepper Holdings – to third parties in the last couple of weeks.
The likely valuation of the business was unclear this weekend.
The sale is being launched as Wingstop prepares to launch its 50th outlet in the UK.
It is aiming to have 57 sites open by the end of the year, with substantial room for further growth even in a market saturated by competitors.
Sources said the company believed it could ultimately reach between 400 and 500 sites in Britain.
Wingstop has also become one of the industry’s biggest employers in the UK, with a workforce of about 2,200 people.
The chain has gained a cult following for its variety of flavours, which include Louisiana Rub and Mango Habanero.
Celebrity fans reportedly include the rappers Central Cee and Stormzy.
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It is positioned as a premium alternative to KFC, and competes with the likes of Nando’s and Popeyes, which has also been accelerating rapidly in recent years.
Chick-fil-A, the third-largest quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain in the US, has also announced plans to enter the British market, saying last year that it would open its maiden UK site in early…
