Wingstop US CEO "Planning Rooftop Party... Will Capture MZ Generation's Taste"

Large Carpool International Market General Manager
Recently Opened 2nd Branch Near Seoul National University Entrance Station
Expanding to 2 Stores in Second Half of This Year and 14 Stores Next Year

"Korean consumers really love chicken and tend to seek out unique foods."

Large Carpool Wingstop International Market General Manager. Photo by Moon Hyewon

Raj Kapur, Head of Wingsstop International Market, expressed confidence in an interview with Asia Economy on the 7th, saying, "We can offer nine new chicken flavors that you can't try anywhere else."

Wingstop, a global chicken franchise operating over 2,000 directly managed and franchised stores worldwide, opened its first store in Korea near Sinnonhyeon Station in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, in January this year, marking its entry into the Korean market. Wingstop opened its second store near Seoul National University Station at the end of last month and is currently scouting locations for the third and fourth stores in the second half of this year. While areas with many young consumers and high foot traffic such as Itaewon, Hongdae, and Myeongdong in Seoul are being considered, nothing has been officially decided yet.

Wingstop evaluates the initial sales performance positively after opening the first store. As of the end of last month, the cumulative number of orders reached about 38,000, and the cumulative chicken sales exceeded 79,254 pieces.

When asked about his reflections on operating the first and second stores over the past six months, Mr. Kapur said, "Wingstop's operating method is relatively simple and less complicated compared to other brands, so there were no major trial-and-error issues in store operations. However, the most important thing is to increase brand awareness. It will be more important going forward to have more people try our menu."

Since March, Wingstop has started delivery services in partnership with delivery apps such as Yogiyo and Baedal Minjok. Mr. Kapur analyzed the Korean chicken industry by saying, "It is a country where delivery service is strong, and people eat delivery food more than dining in stores."

When asked about the possibility of expanding outside Seoul, he replied, "There is definitely potential," adding, "Our goal is to enter as many other regions as possible so that the largest number of customers in Korea can experience Wingstop's menu." He also added, "We plan to actively use social networking services (SNS) to organize rooftop parties and other events that our target young consumers can enjoy."

Wingstop plans to introduce menus unique to Korea in the second half of this year and open new stores every quarter next year, aiming to have a total of 14 stores.