Sneaky Wingstop Secrets Employees Don’t Want You To Know

1. Don't forget the cheese!

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Employees and regulars alike swear by this secret! Everyone says that ordering a side of melty, gooey cheese is the secret to a great Wingstop experience. It works for everything from the chicken to the fries and goes well with all of the sauces. Brb, going to try this immediately!

2. You can text your order for faster pick up

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Talking on the phone is something a lot of people try to avoid these days. Text messaging is king, so Wingstop makes it easy. All you have to do is text them, and they'll send you the menu options back so that you can place your order right then and there! It's become a huge success amongst the Gen-Z and Millennial crowds.

3. They might not take your phone call

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Maybe it's because of the fancy text messaging system, but one customer took to social media to show the employees ignoring his phone call. Oops. However, people are divided, saying he went before closing and most places don't answer that close to the store closing. But, to be safe, maybe try the text order or just go inside if you're literally in the parking lot?

4. There's no official secret menu, but....

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When it was National Ranch Day - yes, you read that right - Wingstop was not only offering free ranch with their wings, they also released a list of secret combo flavors to try and offered free side flavors. They recommended mixing your favorite flavor directly with the  ranch for a creamy, powerful flavor. What combo would you try?

5. If you have a great flavor idea, keep it to yourself

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Did you know that there's actually a policy for employees that it's against the rules for them to review or consider any "unsolicited ideas"? That includes new flavors or combos. It's ultimately to protect themselves so that all ideas are coming internally through their experts, so they won't be accused of stealing.

6. It's a pretty young company

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Compared to a lot of the fast food chains out there, Wingstop is a relatively young restaurant. The first one opened in Garland, TX back in 1994, with the first franchise location opening in 1997. It's continuing to grow and expand, and its cheeky branding has become very recognizable.

7. It's not just good luck, that extra wing is supposed to be there

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Employees said that they're told to provide an extra wing per order whenever someone orders 10 pieces. SO if you order 10, you should get 11 and if you order 20, you should get 22. If they forget your bonus wings, you can actually ask them about it, and they'll add it in!

8. The portion sizes are different in America

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At Wingstop in the UK, the most wings that come in an order are up to around 20. But did you know that in America, they have an order of FIFTY wings? That's so many wings and the flavor combos are endless. So if you have a party and you're not sure what to bring, pick up these wings and everyone will love you!

9. The "boneless" wings have other crap in them

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Most people could probably guess this, but when you order "boneless wings," they're not actually chicken wings. In reality, they're made in a similar way to nuggets, using chicken breast meat. Did you know that it's a lot cheaper to produce a boneless wing than regular, actual ones? And people are super into them, so it's a better profit margin for the company.

10. If you have high cholesterol, these are probably not for you

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Probably none of us think of wings as being healthy, but this fast food is loaded with sodium and a tonnnn of fat. If you eat 10 of them, it's 80 grams of fat AND 3,100 milligrams of sodium, which is more than the daily limit. And if you add in some fries or sauces... Oof.

11. Chicken is their main event and that won't change

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Unlike some other spots that serve wings that also serve pizza and burgers, Wingstop plans to stick with chicken. After all, it's literally in their name! It's probably why they've had so much success so quickly in the space. Besides, with all the flavors they offer, you'll never run out of variety!

12. They sometimes have limited-time flavors

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We know they won't take your ideas officially, but Wingstop has been known to see what flavors and combinations fans are gravitating towards on social media and offering those combos as limited-time flavors. So if you see something trending on TikTok, it's likely you'll be able to find that exact flavor in the restaurant for a time. Run, don't walk!

13. The pandemic helped popularize the chain

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While a lot of places were struggling to stay open during the start of the pandemic, Wingstop had the opposite experience. Their sales shot up because of their drive-thru services and digital platform accessibility. In fact, during the first year of the pandemic, they experienced a 30% increase in sales when everyone was looking for the perfect comfort food!

14. Their most popular limited flavor is Hot Honey Rub

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There's something that just works so well about a spicy and sweet flavor combined with the deliciousness of a chicken wing. So it's no surprise that when this limited edition left the menu, fans were not super stoked. In fact, the outcry on social media was so great, that the chain decided to bring the flavor back for another run.

15. They pride themselves on their 11 flavors

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Eleven may seem like a lot, but Wingstop has curated these flavors to create some delicious combos you won't be able to live without. There's something for everyone with hot and spicy to sweet and mild. So, whether KBBQ is your jam or you wanna keep it classic with original hot, Wingstop's got ya covered!

16. They're trying to stay ahead of the times

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As mentioned, you can order Wingstop through texting, or even social media. But did you know there's also a completely digital location? You don't have to interact with anyone, you can just scan the QR code to place and pay for your order, no cash allowed. There's no dine-in experience at this location either, so take out or delivery only! All the introverts, rejoice!

17. It's one of the fastest growing restaurant chains

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Since 1994, there are now over 1,500 Wingstop locations, making it one of the largest chains in America. It's considered one of the top ten chicken brands in the country. To see that amount of growth in such a short time is impressive. It's no doubt that this restaurant has loyal fans who love the flavor and quality of the wings.

18. Do NOT read if you have a weak stomach

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So Wingstop made headlines a few years back because an employee literally put her whole face into a bucket of raw chicken. There have also been videos showing employees handling food without gloves, and while this does happen in a restaurant, given their other hygiene issues, it didn't sit well with a lot of people. The TikTok saying is true - you can't eat at everybody's house.

19. On top of that, employees have reported this

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Some employees have exposed Wingstop's working conditions, saying that the investors ultimately care about the bottom dollar and not about providing a quality meal. They said they have witnessed rodents and flies present in the working environment, and no one has batted an eye to control the problem. Gross.

20. Rick Ross is a BIG fan of Wingstop

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The rapper has been very vocal about his love for the chicken wing chain. He loves it so much that he's actually become the owner of 25 franchise locations! He said that he loved eating at Wingstop so much, that he felt like owning one was just something he had to do and he has a very personal passion for the chain.

21. While Wingstop focuses on chicken, their founders also have a pizza chain

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The founders of Wingstop, Antonio Swad and Bernadette Fiaschetti, decided to try their hand at pizza. Staying true to their word, rather than incorporating it into their existing chain, they started Pizza Patron. While this chain didn't see as much expansion as Wingstop, it's still incredibly popular in the locations it's in.

22. They've gone to Canada

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Wingstop has become a global brand, and most recently, they've franchised into Canada, opening over 100 locations across the next 10 years. Employees say that the global vision is strong, with Wingstop wanting to become a top 10 global brand in the future. No small task for a relatively new company, but they show no signs of slowing down!

23. There were legal troubles over the working conditions

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Rick Ross's franchise locations actually found themselves in the middle of a legal dispute. Apparently, there were several labor violations including making employees pay for their own background checks, safety trainings and uniforms. Employees also reported that if there were cash register shortages, they were forced to pay the different. The deductions were taken out of their paychecks, and most were making less than the federal minimum wage.

24. Troy Aikman gives Wingstop a stamp of approval

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The football Hall of Famer became the first ever spokesperson for Wingstop. It's said that he likely helped with the business's expansion, as a good spokesman can really boost the legitimacy of your business. Being a Texas based restaurant with a Dallas Cowboys representative is a pretty good way to go!

25. You can get free fries

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If you have a few extra minutes, take time to fill out the survey at the bottom of your Wingstop receipt next time you're there. If you fill that thing out and turn it in for a voucher, you can get free fries! It only takes a couple minutes, and who says no to free fries, honestly?

26. Their chicken sandwich sold out

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Sticking to all things chicken, Wingstop decided to get into the chicken sandwich game. It was so popular that it actually sold out shortly after launching! The sandwich is available in 12 different flavors, and now they're available nationwide. Is there a flavor you're dying to try?

27. They've added chicken thighs to the menu

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Here's some scary news. There's a chicken wing shortage. That's right! But don't fear. Wingstop took this as an opportunity to add a delicious chicken thigh option to the menu. You can get the thighs with the same delicious eleven flavors as the wings, so no matter what, this place has got ya covered!

28. The company's Twitter account is poppin'

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Whenever a brand can cut through the noise on Twitter and really reach a target audience, it's a huge success. Employees say it's a point of pride for the corporate office to have a Twitter account that's relevant. Wingstop has successfully made their brand seem fun and exciting!

29. They might slowly be going under

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A few years ago, Wingstop saw it's highest stock value of all time. Over the past couple of years, that number has dropped significantly by about $63 a share. It's still higher than when they first started out, of course, but the decline in value is not a good sign for the company! Do you think they'll bounce back?

30. Don't sleep on their cheese fries

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Okay, we know, everyone's here for the wings. But employees say you absolutely cannot sleep on the cheese fries. Will they clog your arteries? Probably. Is it worth it? 100%. So next time you're sending through that text message order, be sure to add these to the list. They won't disappoint!

31. It was established in 1994

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Back in 1994, this food chain opened its very first restaurant in Garland, Texas. Since then, while it's not been at the top of the fast food game by any meanings, it's been building at a slow and steady pace! The first franchise location opened in 1997 and it has been going in the right direction..

32. It has over 1000 locations in different countries!

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So much so that it has over 1000 locations in lots of different countries across the globe! This might not sound like many when you think about how many other fast food chains have, but it's been successful enough to have at least 1000, which is still good business!

33. You need to know about Wingbot

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If you didn't already know about their online ordering service Wingstop, then you need to know to make sure you get easy online service! We all prefer ordering online anyway, right? But Wingbot is specifically a 'bot' that makes you feel like you're talking to someone when you're ordering!

34. They've served over 1 billion wings!

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So for a restaurant franchise that deals exclusively in chicken wings, how many wings have they actually sold by this point? Well, over 1 billion! Just imagine what 1 billion chicken wings would actually look like on a plate - provided you could get a plate big enough, of course.

35. Internal experts are the only ones who can create chicken wing magic

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Creating new ideas and flavors for chicken wings is left to what they call the 'internal experts'. It's all hush hush, as the people have to be internal and nobody from outside the business - or outside world - can have an input. They keep their chicken flavor inventing very close to their chest!

36. Some people have defended 'clean hands'

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So, as mentioned, the employees have sometimes done some very gross things, but some people have actually spoken out about the whole 'not wearing gloves' to prepare the chicken debacle. They've said that washed, clean hands are fine to prepare the food.. what do you think?

37. You're ordering a plate of sodium and fat, basically

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Nobody is going to go order Wingstop and convince themselves it's healthy, but you might not have known the extent of what you're putting in your body. One single cajun wing can have 310 milligrams of sodium. That might not mean much to you, but the recommended daily average is around 2,300 - so if you're having a box of 10 wings, you're already over!

38. Their stock prices have gone way down

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The chain actually had an all-time-high of stock prices back in 2021, but they don't seem to be doing so well since. The stock value has fallen in the last year or so, but that's not to say it'll be like that forever. The stock grew considerably since it first started, so you never know!

39. A hedge fund owns Wingstop

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And a huge hedge fund at that. What this means is that the people being the running of Wingstop care more about profit than they do about serving up some delicious food. That's not to say that the menu isn't a tasty one, or that they don't care about customer service.. but for the people at the top, money comes first.

40. Despite low stock prices, it's one of the fastest growing

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Wingstop really had a very steady growth after it first opened, with the pace ramped up in recent years, so in relation to other restaurants that might be considered more popular like McDonald's and Burger King, in terms of the fastest growth rate, it looks to be Wingstop! Maybe the wings help it to fly forward faster?

41. It became a public company in 2015

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So, as mentioned about those pesky stock prices, that's because you can actually buy shares in the company, since it became a public company back in 2015, and has been ever since! The president of Wingstop spoke out about how he thought the restaurant had something 'attractive' to investors. Yeah, those juicy looking wings!

42. Yes, you can order through social media too

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Wingstop really haven't fallen behind in their ordering system, so yes you can actually order through social media, too, if you don't want to call, text, use the Wingbot or drop by! This is exclusive to ordering through Twitter, and also ordering through Facebook messenger.

43. Its first international restaurant was in Mexico

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When Wingstop first opened its international doors, it was Mexico that could now enjoy those sizzling wing flavors! This opened in 2010, and since then it's opened in many more countries. You might not have expected Mexico to be the first international place, though!

44. There was a flavor called 'Dragon's Breath'!

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Sounds pretty darn hot doesn't it? Dragon's Breath was one of the many limited time flavors. As expected, this flavor was a celebration of everything hot and fiery! This one included a mash up of Spicy Korean Q and Atomic and was a great combination of hot and sweet.

45. Wingstop actually has charities

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Wingstop actually does a lot of work in charities, and their charities include focus on young people and developing their passions. This includes sports, education, the arts and even career development. Their charity is The Wingstop Team Member Foundation.

46. The 'ThighStop'

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Back in June 2021, Wingstop unveiled the ThighStop! This was a digital-only restaurant, meaning you unfortunately couldn't sit in any of the locations, but it sold those thighs we spoke about instead of its usual wings. But did you know it was officially called 'ThighStop' and not just Wingstop selling thighs?

47. The change to thighs was apparently down to 'cost saving'

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So why did Wingstop choose to switch to thighs for a bit in the first place? It wasn't just to extend their exciting menu, but apparently it was down to cost cutting. They officially said that it was cost-saving measures that made them make the switch - understandable!

48. What's the best wing flavor at Wingstop?

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Knicks Lemon Garlic actually comes in at the top of the poll for best wing flavor to get your hands on - so all other flavors are apparently inferior (depending on your preference, of course!). This mix consists of garlic parmesan cheese with a lemon pepper. So a spicy one didn't come out on top after all!

49. What's the worst?

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Mango Habenaro has been ranked as the worst wing flavor from this restaurant chain. This one is not only the least popular, but actually advised not to even bother with at all! It's a very spicy offering but also with a more 'planty' taste. What do you think? Is this one actually your favorite?

50. Can you be healthy at Wingstop?

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At the end of the day, if you're going to Wingstop, it's not healthy - but there are some ways you can make it less of an unhealthy overload! If you're craving wings, then the less sauce and toppings you put on the better to reduce the sodium and fat count. You can also switch to vegetable sticks instead of french fries!