Beyond the menu: gift cards, jobs, franchising and charity

Gift cards

There are two kinds. An e-gift card is bought on wingstop.com and delivered digitally, so it works for last-minute presents. A physical card is sold at Wingstop restaurants in the United States. Cards can be reloaded, and balances are checked on Wingstop's gift card page or by phone at (800) 232-2020.

Our advice: we cannot see, check or replace a card, so never share a card number with anyone who contacts you claiming to be from this site. Because most restaurants are run by independent franchisees, it is worth asking the nearest store how it handles gift cards for carryout and delivery before you buy one as a gift.

Jobs

Restaurant roles include team members who cook and toss wings, cashiers, shift leaders, assistant managers and general managers. Corporate roles are based at Wingstop's support center in Dallas, Texas, in areas such as marketing, technology, operations and finance.

About 98% of Wingstop restaurants are run by franchisees, so pay, schedules and benefits at your local store are set by that owner, not by Wingstop corporate. If you want to know what a specific store offers, ask its manager.

• Search and apply through Wingstop's official careers page, or ask at your nearest store.
• We cannot accept applications or pass them on.
• Never pay a fee to apply for a job, at Wingstop or anywhere else.

Franchise costs and requirements

These are the figures Wingstop publishes for opening a restaurant.

Franchise fee

$25,000

Development fee

$25,000

Initial investment

$298,200 – $1,013,500

Minimum net worth

$5M

Minimum liquid assets

$2.1M

Restaurant size

1,400 – 1,800 sq ft

Reading the numbers: the initial investment range spans about $715,000, so the final cost depends heavily on the site and the market. The liquid-asset requirement of $2.1M is 42% of the $5M minimum net worth, which means a large share of an applicant's wealth has to be in cash or easy-to-sell assets. Wingstop also looks for multi-unit restaurant experience, so it is aimed at established operators rather than first-time owners.

The process runs from a request for consideration, through contact from the franchise team, the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD), a financial review and a Discovery Day, to a signed development agreement. Franchise sales are regulated in several US states, so read the current FDD and get professional advice. This page is a summary, not an offer to sell a franchise.

Wingstop Charities

Wingstop Charities is the company's charitable foundation. It gives micro-grants to nonprofits working on the environment, education, wellness, food and entrepreneurship; it provides assistance to Wingstop team members facing financial hardship after an emergency; and it funds the Morrison Family Scholarship for team members studying for a degree or technical certification. Wingstop reports more than $2.2M given to nonprofits and about $550K to team members, with 300 grants awarded since 2016.

The foundation is supported by Wingstop Restaurants Inc., franchisees, vendors, suppliers, team members and guests. Donations and applications go through its own website.