Indianapolis Colts Raheem Brock Opens Wingstop Restaurant
PHILADELPHIA – Indianapolis Colts all-pro defensive tackle Raheem Brock has opened Philadelphia's first Wingstop restaurant across from his former alma mater, Temple University. Wingstop is a chicken wing chain of over 400 aviation-themed restaurants that feature such flavors as Cajun, teriyaki and hickory smoked BBQ.
Last Thursday hundreds of Temple University students attended the grand opening. NFL player Marques Colston of the New Orleans Saints was also in attendance. The store will feature NFL and Temple University memorabilia. Brock plans to open two more restaurants in the Philadelphia area.
“Investing in my community and helping create jobs is a dream come true,” said Brock.
The Philadelphia opening coincides with Wingstop’s plan to focus its expansion efforts to spread its award-winning wings into New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Ohio, Connecticut and New York. The company plans to open as many as 75 restaurants in the Northeast over the next five years.
When asked why this chain is a worthwhile franchise investment that would interest Brock and others, Andy Howard, marketing vice president for Wingstop, said, “Wingstop is about to have twenty-three quarters in a row of positive comparative sales.” Last Quarter's increase of almost 7 percent in same-store sales means that of this year's 415 restaurants now open, sales of the 360 stores that were around last year increased by almost 7 percent.
The chain is expanding. “Wingstop has another 200 that are in various stages of development and in various phases of construction,” he says. “Over the next two or three years those stores will open.”
Howard thinks the secret to those numbers is that the chain doesn't worry about burgers, pizza or salads. According to him, 80 percent of what the chain sells is centered around wings. Fresh-cut fries account for another 10 percent. “We are focused on serving the best wings on the planet,” states Howard.
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