Wingstop Restaurants Inc. Investor Relations

Quarterly Results

Wingstop Inc. Reports Fiscal First Quarter Financial Results

Record 126 Net New Openings in First Quarter, 18.0% Net New Unit Growth

DALLAS, April 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Wingstop Inc. (“Wingstop” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: WING) today announced financial results for the fiscal first quarter ended March 29, 2025.

Highlights for the fiscal first quarter 2025 compared to the fiscal first quarter 2024:

  • System-wide sales increased 15.7% to $1.3 billion
  • 126 net new openings in the fiscal first quarter 2025
  • Domestic restaurant AUV increased to $2.1 million
  • Domestic same store sales increased 0.5%
  • Digital sales increased to 72.0% of system-wide sales
  • Total revenue increased 17.4% to $171.1 million
  • Net income increased 221.0% to $92.3 million, or $3.24 per diluted share
  • Adjusted net income and adjusted earnings per diluted share, both non-GAAP measures, were $28.3 million, or $0.99 per diluted share
  • Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, increased 18.4% to $59.5 million

Adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, and adjusted earnings per diluted share are non-GAAP measures. A reconciliation of each of adjusted EBITDA, adjusted net income, and adjusted earnings per diluted share to the most directly comparable financial measure presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) is set forth in the schedule accompanying this release. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

“Despite the challenging and unpredictable macro-environment, our first quarter results demonstrate the staying power of our strategies and resiliency in our model,” said Michael Skipworth, President & Chief Executive Officer. “We opened a record 126 net new units in the first quarter, delivering 18% unit growth, nearly doubling the number of units opened during the first quarter last year. Our pipeline remains strong as our brand partners are experiencing industry leading returns. This growth is leading us to another record-breaking year of development and moving us along our path of becoming a Top 10 Global Restaurant Brand.”

Key operating metrics for the fiscal first quarter 2025 compared to the fiscal first quarter 2024:

Thirteen Weeks Ended

March 29, 2025

March 30, 2024

Number of system-wide restaurants open at end of period

2,689

2,279

Number of domestic franchise restaurants open at end of period

2,250

1,924

Number of international franchise restaurants open at end of period (1)

388

305

System-wide sales (in millions)

$ 1,300

$ 1,124

Domestic AUV (in thousands)

$ 2,135

$ 1,918

Domestic same store sales growth

0.5 %

21.6 %

Company-owned domestic same store sales growth

1.4 %

6.2 %

Net income (in thousands)

$ 92,265

$ 28,747

Adjusted net income (in thousands)

$ 28,316

$ 28,747

Adjusted EBITDA (in thousands)

$ 59,497

$ 50,263

________________________

(1)

Including U.S. territories.

Fiscal first quarter 2025 financial results

Total revenue for the fiscal first quarter 2025 increased to $171.1 million from $145.8 million in the prior fiscal first quarter. Royalty revenue, franchise fees and other increased $11.7 million, of which $10.0 million was due to net new franchise development, and $0.3 million was due to domestic same store sales growth of 0.5%. Advertising fees increased $12.1 million due to a 15.7% increase in system-wide sales in the fiscal first quarter 2025, as well as an increase in the national advertising fund contribution rate to 5.5%, effective the first day of the fiscal first quarter 2025. Company-owned restaurant sales increased $1.5 million due to company-owned restaurant same store sales growth of 1.4%, driven primarily by an increase in transactions, as well as company-owned restaurants opened and acquired since the prior fiscal first quarter.

Cost of sales was $22.8 million compared to $21.3 million in the prior fiscal first quarter. As a percentage of company-owned restaurant sales, cost of sales increased to 76.0% from 74.5% in the prior fiscal first quarter. The increase was driven by food, beverage and packaging costs, primarily resulting from an increase in the cost of bone-in chicken wings as compared to the prior fiscal first quarter and was partially offset by sales leverage in other operating expenses.

Selling, general & administrative (“SG&A”) expense increased $6.3 million to $31.4 million from $25.2 million in the prior fiscal first quarter. The increase in SG&A expense was driven by an increase in headcount related expenses, inclusive of stock-based compensation, of $4.8 million to support the growth in our business, as well as system implementation costs of $1.3 million during the fiscal first quarter 2025.

Depreciation and amortization increased $2.8 million to $6.2 million from $3.4 million in the prior fiscal first quarter. The increase in depreciation and amortization was primarily due to software assets placed in service during the fiscal second quarter 2024 that relate to the launch of our proprietary technology platform: MyWingstop.

Interest expense, net increased $4.4 million to $8.9 million from $4.5 million in the prior fiscal first quarter. The increase was primarily driven by $7.8 million in interest expense related to the securitized financing transaction completed on December 3, 2024, which increased our outstanding debt by $500 million, partially offset by additional interest income earned on our cash balances and interest earned on our investments, as compared to the prior year period.

Investment income, net increased $93.5 million to $93.8 million from $0.3 million in the prior fiscal first quarter. The increase in investment income, net was primarily due to a gain of $97.2 million on the sale of our non-controlling interest in Lemon Pepper Holdings, Ltd. (“LPH”), Wingstop’s United Kingdom master franchisee, of which the Company reinvested $75.4 million in the newly formed entity during the fiscal first quarter 2025.

Income tax expense was $30.9 million, yielding an effective tax rate of 25.1%, comparable to an effective tax rate of 25.3% in the prior fiscal first quarter. The increase in total tax expense is primarily related to the increase in Investment income, net as a result of the gain on sale of our investment in LPH during the fiscal first quarter 2025.

Financial Outlook

Based on year-to-date results, the Company is providing updated guidance for 2025. The Company’s outlook is dependent on the macro-environment which is inherently difficult to predict given current high levels of uncertainty.

  • Approximately 1% domestic same store sales growth, previously low- to mid- single digits;
  • Global unit growth rate of 16% to 17%, previously 14% to 15%;
  • SG&A of approximately $140 million, which includes system implementation costs of approximately $4.5 million;
  • Stock-based compensation expense of approximately $26 million;
  • Interest expense, net of approximately $40 million, previously approximately $46 million; and
  • Depreciation and amortization of between $28 and $29 million, previously $29$30 million.

Restaurant Development

As of March 29, 2025, there were 2,689 Wingstop restaurants system-wide. This included 2,301 restaurants in the United States, of which 2,250 were franchised restaurants and 51 were company-owned, and 388 franchised restaurants were in international markets, including U.S. territories. During the fiscal first quarter 2025, there were 126 net system-wide Wingstop restaurant openings.

Quarterly Dividend

In recognition of the Company’s strong cash flow generation and our commitment to returning value to stockholders, on April 29, 2025, our board of directors authorized and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share of common stock, resulting in a total dividend of approximately $7.5 million. This dividend will be paid on June 6, 2025 to stockholders of record as of May 16, 2025.

Share Repurchases

On December 9, 2024, the Company entered into an accelerated share repurchase agreement (the “ASR Agreement”) with a third-party financial institution to repurchase $250.0 million of the Company’s common stock under its Share Repurchase Program. Pursuant to the terms of the ASR Agreement, the Company paid the financial institution $250.0 million and, on December 9, 2024, the Company received and retired 551,325 shares of its common stock. The final settlement under the ASR Agreement occurred on February 20, 2025, and the Company received and retired an additional 317,202 shares of common stock. In connection with the ASR Agreement, the Company received and retired a total of 868,527 shares of common stock at an average price of $287.84 per share. The total number of shares repurchased under the ASR Agreement was based on a daily volume-weighted average share price during the valuation period specified in the ASR Agreement, less a discount and subject to adjustments.

During the thirteen weeks ended March 29, 2025, in addition to the settlement of the ASR Agreement, the Company repurchased and retired 512,810 shares of its common stock at an average price of $233.54 per share. As of March 29, 2025, $191.3 million remained available under the Share Repurchase Program.

Since the inception of the Company’s share repurchase program in August 2023, the Company has repurchased and retired 2,196,768 shares of its common stock at an average price of $258.58 per share.

The following definitions apply to these terms as used in this release:

Domestic average unit volume (“AUV”) consists of the average annual sales of all restaurants that have been open for a trailing 52-week period or longer. This measure is calculated by dividing sales during the applicable period for all restaurants being measured by the number of restaurants being measured. Domestic AUV includes revenue from both company-owned and franchised restaurants. Domestic AUV allows management to assess our domestic company-owned and franchised restaurant economics. Changes in domestic AUV are primarily driven by increases in same store sales and are also influenced by opening new restaurants.

Domestic same store sales reflects the change in year-over-year sales for the same store restaurant base. We define the same store restaurant base to include those restaurants open for at least 52 full weeks. This measure highlights the performance of existing restaurants, while excluding the impact of new restaurant openings and permanent closures. We review same store sales for domestic company-owned restaurants as well as system-wide domestic restaurants. Domestic same store sales growth is driven by increases in transactions and average transaction size. Transaction size increases are driven by price increases or favorable mix shift from either an increase in items purchased or shifts into higher priced items.

System-wide sales represents net sales for all of our company-owned and franchised restaurants, as reported by franchisees. This measure allows management to better assess changes in our royalty revenue, our overall store performance, the health of our brand and the strength of our market position relative to competitors. Our system-wide sales growth is driven by new restaurant openings as well as increases in same store sales.

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income before interest expense, net, income tax expense (benefit), and depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), further adjusted for losses on debt extinguishment and financing transactions, transaction costs, costs and fees associated with investments in our strategic initiatives, gains and losses on non-recurring transactions, certain system implementation costs, and stock-based compensation expense.

Adjusted net income is defined as net income adjusted for losses on debt extinguishment and financing transactions, transaction costs, costs and fees associated with investments in our strategic initiatives, gains and losses on non-recurring transactions, certain system implementation costs, and related tax adjustments.

Adjusted earnings per diluted share is defined as adjusted net income divided by weighted average diluted share count.

We caution investors that amounts presented in accordance with our definitions above may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by our competitors because not all companies and analysts calculate certain non-GAAP measurements in the same manner.

Conference Call and Webcast

The Company will host a conference call today to discuss the fiscal first quarter 2025 financial results at 10:00 AM Eastern Time. The conference call can be joined telephonically by dialing 1-877-259-5243 or 1-412-317-5176 (international) and asking for the Wingstop conference call. A replay will be available two hours after the call and can be accessed by dialing 1-877-344-7529 or 1-412-317-0088 (international), then entering the replay code 4143622. The replay will be available through Wednesday, May 7, 2025.

The conference call will also be webcast live and later archived on the investor relations section of Wingstop’s corporate website at ir.wingstop.com under the ‘News & Events’ section.

About Wingstop

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Dallas, TX, Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ: WING) operates and franchises more than 2,650 locations worldwide. The Wing Experts are dedicated to Serving the World Flavor through an unparalleled guest experience and a best-in-class technology platform, all while offering classic and boneless wings, tenders, and chicken sandwiches, cooked to order and hand sauced-and-tossed in fans’ choice of 12 bold, distinctive flavors. Wingstop’s menu also features signature sides including fresh-cut, seasoned fries and freshly-made ranch and bleu cheese dips.

In fiscal year 2024, Wingstop’s system-wide sales increased 36.8% to approximately $4.8 billion, marking the 21st consecutive year of same store sales growth. With a vision of becoming a Top 10 Global Restaurant Brand, Wingstop’s system is comprised of corporate-owned restaurants and independent franchisees, or brand partners, who account for approximately 98% of Wingstop’s total restaurant count.

In 2024, Wingstop secured a place on Ad Age’s ‘Hottest Brands’ list. The Company also earned a spot as one of QSR Magazine’s “Best Brands to Work For,” was recognized by Fast Company as one of the “Most Innovative Companies” and ranked #14 on Entrepreneur Magazine’s ‘Franchise 500’ as one of the fastest-growing franchises. In 2023, Wingstop earned its “Best Places to Work” certification.

For more information, visit www.wingstop.com or www.wingstop.com/own-a-wingstop and follow @Wingstop on X, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Learn more about Wingstop’s involvement in its local communities at www.wingstopcharities.org. Unless specifically noted otherwise, references to our website addresses, the website addresses of third parties or other references to online content in this press release do not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained on such website and should not be considered part of this release.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, we use non-GAAP financial measures, including those indicated above. By providing non-GAAP financial measures, together with a reconciliation to the most comparable GAAP measure, we believe we are enhancing investors’ understanding of our business and our results of operations, as well as assisting investors in evaluating how well we are executing our strategic initiatives. These measures are not intended to be considered in isolation or as substitutes for, or superior to, financial measures prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP measures used in this press release may be different from the measures used by other companies. A reconciliation of each measure to the most directly comparable GAAP measure is available in this news release. In addition, the Current Report on Form 8-K furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) concurrent with the issuance of this press release includes a more detailed description of each of these non-GAAP financial measures, together with a discussion of the usefulness and purpose of such measures.

Forward-looking Statements

This news release includes statements of our expectations, intentions, plans and beliefs that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are intended to come within the safe harbor protection provided by those sections. These statements, which involve risks and uncertainties, relate to the discussion of our business strategies and our expectations concerning future operations, margins, profitability, trends, liquidity and capital resources and to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “outlook,” “guidance,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “think,” “estimate,” “seek,” “predict,” “can,” “could,” “project,” “potential” or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements are accompanied by such terms. Examples of forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, our 2025 fiscal year outlook for domestic same store sales growth, global unit growth, SG&A expense, stock-based compensation expense, interest expense, net and depreciation and amortization. These forward-looking statements are made based on expectations and beliefs concerning future events affecting us and are subject to uncertainties, risks, and factors relating to our operations and business environments, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control, that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those matters expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Please refer to the risk factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which can be found at the SEC’s website www.sec.gov. The discussion of these risks is specifically incorporated by reference into this news release.

When considering forward-looking statements in this news release or that we make in other reports or statements, you should keep in mind the cautionary statements in this news release and future reports we file with the SEC. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and we cannot predict when they may arise or how they may affect us. Any forward-looking statement in this news release speaks only as of the date on which it was made. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

Media Contact
Maddie Lupori
[email protected]

Investor Contact
Kristen Thomas
[email protected]

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

March 29,
2025

December 28,
2024

Assets

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents

$ 251,382

$ 315,910

Restricted cash

25,994

20,868

Accounts receivable, net

18,452

19,661

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

6,688

6,520

Advertising fund assets, restricted

21,740

32,659

Total current assets

324,256

395,618

Property and equipment, net

107,554

125,953

Operating lease assets

47,879

49,046

Goodwill

74,718

74,718

Trademarks

32,700

32,700

Investments

76,116

8,511

Other non-current assets

33,581

29,700

Total assets

$ 696,804

$ 716,246

Liabilities and stockholders’ deficit

Current liabilities

Accounts payable

$ 7,904

$ 6,943

Current portion of operating lease liabilities

2,988

1,059

Other current liabilities

58,374

46,782

Advertising fund liabilities

21,740

32,659

Total current liabilities

91,006

87,443

Long-term debt, net

1,206,911

1,206,201

Operating lease liabilities

57,897

58,169

Deferred revenues, net of current

41,505

38,877

Deferred income tax liabilities, net

14,405

1,085

Other non-current liabilities

62

57

Total liabilities

1,411,786

1,391,832

Commitments and contingencies

Stockholders’ deficit

Common stock, $0.01 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized;
27,902,888 and 28,662,614 shares issued and outstanding as of March 29,
2025 and December 28, 2024, respectively

279

287

Additional paid-in-capital

1,291

1,568

Retained deficit

(719,310)

(676,940)

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

2,758

(501)

Total stockholders’ deficit

(714,982)

(675,586)

Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficit

$ 696,804

$ 716,246

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(amounts in thousands, except per share data)

Thirteen Weeks Ended

March 29,
2025

March 30,
2024

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Revenue:

Royalty revenue, franchise fees and other

$ 78,775

$ 67,097

Advertising fees

62,272

50,149

Company-owned restaurant sales

30,047

28,543

Total revenue

171,094

145,789

Costs and expenses:

Cost of sales (1)

22,835

21,271

Advertising expenses

65,795

53,192

Selling, general and administrative

31,440

25,178

Depreciation and amortization

6,228

3,410

Loss on disposal of assets

6,535

Total costs and expenses

132,833

103,051

Operating income

38,261

42,738

Interest expense, net

8,910

4,544

Investment income, net

(93,839)

(303)

Income before income tax expense

123,190

38,497

Income tax expense

30,925

9,750

Net income

$ 92,265

$ 28,747

Earnings per share

Basic

$ 3.25

$ 0.98

Diluted

$ 3.24

$ 0.98

Weighted average shares outstanding

Basic

28,385

29,349

Diluted

28,509

29,478

Dividends per share

$ 0.27

$ 0.22

________________________

(1)

Cost of sales includes all operating expenses of company-owned restaurants, including advertising expenses, but excludes
depreciation and amortization, which are presented separately.

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Unaudited Supplemental Information

Cost of Sales Margin Analysis

(amounts in thousands)

Thirteen Weeks Ended

March 29, 2025

March 30, 2024

In dollars

As a % of
company-owned
restaurant sales

In dollars

As a % of
company-owned
restaurant sales

Cost of sales:

Food, beverage and packaging costs

$ 11,241

37.4 %

$ 9,903

34.7 %

Labor costs

7,153

23.8 %

6,675

23.4 %

Other restaurant operating expenses

5,191

17.3 %

5,410

19.0 %

Vendor rebates

(750)

(2.5) %

(717)

(2.5) %

Total cost of sales

$ 22,835

76.0 %

$ 21,271

74.5 %

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Unaudited Supplemental Information

Restaurant Count

Thirteen Weeks Ended

March 29,
2025

March 30,
2024

Domestic Franchised Activity

Beginning of period

2,154

1,877

Openings

96

47

Closures

Restaurants end of period

2,250

1,924

Domestic Company-Owned Activity

Beginning of period

50

49

Openings

1

1

Closures

Restaurants end of period

51

50

Total Domestic Restaurants

2,301

1,974

International Franchised Activity(1)

Beginning of period

359

288

Openings

30

17

Closures

(1)

Restaurants end of period

388

305

Total System-wide Restaurants

2,689

2,279

________________________

(1)

Includes U.S. territories.

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Non-GAAP Financial Measures – EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

(Unaudited)

(amounts in thousands)

Thirteen Weeks Ended

March 29,
2025

March 30,
2024

Net income

$ 92,265

$ 28,747

Interest expense, net

8,910

4,544

Income tax expense

30,925

9,750

Depreciation and amortization

6,228

3,410

EBITDA

$ 138,328

$ 46,451

Additional adjustments:

Transaction costs (a)

497

Loss on sale of building (b)

6,534

Gain on sale of investment (c)

(92,485)

System implementation costs (d)

1,311

Stock-based compensation expense (e)

5,312

3,812

Adjusted EBITDA

$ 59,497

$ 50,263

________________________

(a)

Represents non-recurring transaction costs that are not part of our ongoing operations and were incurred to execute the sale
and subsequent reinvestment of the Company’s unconsolidated equity method investment in Lemon Pepper Holdings, Ltd.
(“LPH”), Wingstop’s United Kingdom master franchisee, during the fiscal first quarter 2025; all transaction costs are
included in Selling, general and administrative on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

(b)

Represents a non-recurring loss on sale of an office building during the fiscal first quarter 2025, which was included in Loss
on disposal of assets on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

(c)

Represents a non-recurring gain related to the sale of the Company’s unconsolidated equity method investment in LPH during
the fiscal first quarter 2025, which was included in Investment income, net on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

(d)

System implementation costs represent non-recurring expenses incurred related to the development and implementation of
new enterprise resource planning and human capital management technology, which are included in Selling, general and
administrative on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

(e)

Includes non-cash, stock-based compensation, net of forfeitures.

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Non-GAAP Financial Measures – Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS

(Unaudited)

(amounts in thousands, except per share data)

Thirteen Weeks Ended

March 29,
2025

March 30,
2024

Numerator:

Net income

$ 92,265

$ 28,747

Adjustments:

Transaction costs (a)

497

Loss on disposal of building (b)

6,534

Gain on sale of investment (c)

(92,485)

System implementation costs (d)

1,311

Tax effect of adjustments (e)

20,194

Adjusted net income

$ 28,316

$ 28,747

Denominator:

Weighted-average shares outstanding – diluted

28,509

29,478

Adjusted earnings per diluted share

$ 0.99

$ 0.98

________________________

(a)

Represents non-recurring transaction costs that are not part of our ongoing operations and were incurred to execute the sale
and subsequent reinvestment of the Company’s unconsolidated equity method investment in LPH, Wingstop’s United
Kingdom master franchisee, during the fiscal first quarter 2025; all transaction costs are included in Selling, general and
administrative on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

(b)

Represents a non-recurring loss on sale of an office building during the fiscal first quarter 2025, which was included in Loss
on disposal of assets on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

(c)

Represents a non-recurring gain related to the sale of the Company’s unconsolidated equity method investment in LPH during
the fiscal first quarter 2025, which was included in Investment income, net on the Consolidated Statements of
Comprehensive Income.

(d)

System implementation costs represent non-recurring expenses incurred related to the development and implementation of
new enterprise resource planning and human capital management technology, which are included in Selling, general and
administrative on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

(e)

Represents the tax effect of the aforementioned adjustments to reflect corporate income taxes at an assumed effective tax rate
of 24% for the thirteen weeks ended March 30, 2024, which includes provisions for U.S. federal income taxes, and assumes
the respective statutory rates for applicable state and local jurisdictions.

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SOURCE Wingstop Restaurants Inc.

Wingstop Inc. Reports Fiscal Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results

Record 349 Net New Restaurants and 15.8% Unit Growth in 2024

Delivers 21st Consecutive Year of Same Store Sales Growth with 19.9% in 2024

DALLAS, Feb. 19, 2025 — Wingstop Inc. (“Wingstop” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: WING) today announced financial results for the fiscal fourth quarter and fiscal year ended December 28, 2024.

Highlights for the fiscal fourth quarter 2024 compared to the fiscal fourth quarter 2023:

  • System-wide sales increased 27.6% to $1.2 billion
  • 105 net new openings in the fiscal fourth quarter 2024
  • Domestic restaurant AUV increased to $2.1 million
  • Domestic same store sales increased 10.1%
  • Digital sales increased to 70.3% of system-wide sales
  • Total revenue increased 27.4% to $161.8 million
  • Net income increased 42.2% to $26.8 million, or $0.92 per diluted share
  • Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, increased 44.2% to $56.3 million

Highlights for the fiscal year 2024 compared to the fiscal year 2023:

  • System-wide sales increased 36.8% to $4.8 billion
  • 349 net new openings in fiscal year 2024
  • System-wide restaurant count increased 15.8% to 2,563 worldwide locations
  • Domestic same store sales increased 19.9%
  • Total revenue increased 36.0% to $625.8 million
  • Net income increased 54.9% to $108.7 million, or $3.70 per diluted share
  • Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, increased 44.8% to $212.1 million

Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure. A reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to the most directly comparable financial measure presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) is set forth in the schedule accompanying this release. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

“2024 results demonstrated the strength and staying power of our strategies we are executing against, translating into another record year. We reached new highs with domestic AUVs of $2.1 million and opened 349 net new restaurants – a remarkable 15.8% growth rate, demonstrating the strength of our unit economics and confidence in our strategies by our Brand Partners,” said Michael Skipworth, President and Chief Executive Officer. “As we enter 2025, we remain confident in the strategies we are executing and the opportunities in front of us as we work towards our goal of becoming a Top 10 Global Restaurant Brand.”

Key operating metrics for the fiscal fourth quarter 2024 compared to the fiscal fourth quarter 2023:

Thirteen Weeks Ended

December 28, 2024

December 30, 2023

Number of system-wide restaurants open at end of period

2,563

2,214

Number of domestic franchise restaurants open at end of period

2,154

1,877

Number of international franchise restaurants open at end of period (1)

359

288

System-wide sales (in millions)

$ 1,232

$ 966

Domestic AUV (in thousands)

$ 2,138

$ 1,827

Domestic same store sales growth

10.1 %

21.2 %

Company-owned domestic same store sales growth

3.8 %

10.8 %

Net income (in thousands)

$ 26,753

$ 18,814

Adjusted EBITDA (in thousands)

$ 56,348

$ 39,067

________________________

(1)

Including U.S. territories.

Fiscal fourth quarter 2024 financial results

Total revenue for the fiscal fourth quarter 2024 increased to $161.8 million from $127.1 million in the prior fiscal fourth quarter. Royalty revenue, franchise fees and other increased $18.0 million, of which $10.9 million was due to net new franchise development, and $4.5 million was due to domestic same store sales growth of 10.1%. Advertising fees increased $12.9 million due to a 27.6% increase in system-wide sales in the fiscal fourth quarter 2024, as well as an increase in the national advertising fund contribution rate to 5.3% from 5.0%, effective the first day of the fiscal second quarter 2024. Company-owned restaurant sales increased $3.8 million due to company-owned restaurants opened and acquired since the prior fiscal fourth quarter, as well as company-owned restaurant same store sales growth of 3.8%, driven primarily by an increase in transactions.

Cost of sales was $23.3 million compared to $19.7 million in the prior fiscal fourth quarter. As a percentage of company-owned restaurant sales, cost of sales increased to 77.6% from 75.1% in the prior fiscal fourth quarter. The increase was driven by food, beverage and packaging costs, primarily resulting from an increase in the cost of bone-in chicken wings as compared to the prior fiscal fourth quarter. Our purchases in the prior fiscal fourth quarter were tied primarily to the spot market, which benefited from significant deflation in the cost of bone-in chicken wings.

Selling, general & administrative (“SG&A”) expense increased $3.2 million to $31.2 million from $28.1 million in the prior fiscal fourth quarter. The increase in SG&A expense was primarily driven by an increase in headcount-related expenses of $3.0 million to support the growth in our business.

Depreciation and amortization increased $2.2 million to $5.9 million from $3.6 million in the prior fiscal fourth quarter. The increase in depreciation and amortization was primarily due to software assets placed in service during the fiscal second quarter 2024 that relate to the launch of our proprietary software platform: MyWingstop.

Key Operating Metrics for the fiscal year 2024 compared to the fiscal year 2023:

Fiscal Year Ended

December 28, 2024

December 30, 2023

Number of system-wide restaurants open at end of period

2,563

2,214

Number of domestic franchise restaurants open at end of period

2,154

1,877

Number of international franchise restaurants open at end of period(1)

359

288

System-wide sales (in millions)

$ 4,765

$ 3,482

Domestic AUV (in thousands)

$ 2,138

$ 1,827

Domestic same store sales growth

19.9 %

18.3 %

Company-owned domestic same store sales growth

7.7 %

8.2 %

Net income (in thousands)

$ 108,717

$ 70,175

Adjusted EBITDA (in thousands)

$ 212,061

$ 146,484

________________________

(1)

Including U.S. territories.

Fiscal year 2024 financial results

Total revenue for fiscal year 2024 increased to $625.8 million from $460.1 million in the prior fiscal year. Royalty revenue, franchise fees and other increased $81.3 million, of which $36.1 million was due to domestic same store sales growth of 19.9%, and $29.9 million was due to net new franchise development since December 30, 2023. Advertising fees increased $60.5 million due to a 36.8% increase in system-wide sales in fiscal year 2024, as well as an increase in the national advertising fund contribution rate to 5.3% from 5.0%, effective the first day of the fiscal second quarter 2024. Company-owned restaurant sales increased $24.0 million, of which $16.0 million was related to company-owned same store sales growth of 7.7%, driven by an increase in transactions, and $8.0 million was primarily related to company-owned restaurants opened and acquired during fiscal year 2024.

Cost of sales was $91.6 million compared to $70.6 million in the prior fiscal year. As a percentage of company-owned restaurant sales, cost of sales increased to 76.5% from 73.7% in the prior fiscal year. The increase was driven primarily by food, beverage and packaging costs, primarily resulting from an increase in the cost of bone-in chicken wings as compared to the prior fiscal year. As showcased in the Company’s supply chain strategy during 2024, the majority of bone-in wing purchases were no longer tied to the weekly wing spot market, which created predictability for food, beverage and packaging costs.

SG&A increased to $116.8 million from $96.9 million in the prior fiscal year. The increase in SG&A expense was driven by an increase in headcount-related expenses of $10.2 million to support the growth in our business, an increase in performance-based stock compensation and incentive compensation expense of $7.6 million related primarily to the Company’s performance, and an increase in professional and consulting fees of $1.2 million associated with the Company’s strategic initiatives, including system implementation costs.

Depreciation and amortization increased $6.3 million to $19.5 million from $13.2 million in the prior fiscal year. The increase in depreciation and amortization was primarily due to software assets placed in service during the fiscal second quarter 2024 that relate to the launch of our proprietary technology platform: MyWingstop.

Financial Outlook

The Company expects the following for fiscal year 2025:

  • Low- to mid-single digit domestic same store sales growth;
  • Global unit growth rate of 14% to 15%;
  • SG&A of approximately $140 million, which includes system implementation costs of approximately $4.5 million;
  • Stock-based compensation expense of approximately $26 million;
  • Interest expense, net of approximately $46 million; and
  • Depreciation and amortization of between $29$30 million.

Restaurant Development

As of December 28, 2024, there were 2,563 Wingstop restaurants system-wide. This included 2,204 restaurants in the United States, of which 2,154 were franchised restaurants and 50 were company-owned, and 359 franchised restaurants were in international markets and U.S. territories. During the fiscal fourth quarter 2024, there were 105 net system-wide Wingstop restaurant openings.

Quarterly Dividend

In recognition of the Company’s strong cash flow generation and our commitment to returning value to stockholders, on February 18, 2025, our board of directors authorized and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share of common stock, resulting in a total dividend of approximately $7.7 million. This dividend will be paid on March 28, 2025 to stockholders of record as of March 7, 2025.

Share Repurchases

As previously announced, during the fiscal fourth quarter of 2024, our board of directors authorized the purchase of up to an additional $500.0 million of our outstanding shares of common stock under our existing share repurchase program. Pursuant to that program, on December 9, 2024, the Company also entered into an accelerated share repurchase agreement (the “ASR Agreement”) to repurchase $250.0 million of its common stock.

During the fiscal fourth quarter of 2024, the Company made an initial payment of $250.0 million and received and retired 551,325 shares of its common stock under the ASR Agreement, representing an estimated 75% of the total shares expected to be delivered under the ASR Agreement, based on the closing price on the date of initial delivery of $328.54. The delivery of any remaining shares will occur at the final settlement of the transactions under the ASR Agreement, which is scheduled to occur in the fiscal first quarter of 2025. As of December 28, 2024, $311.1 million remained available under the share repurchase program.

Since the inception of the Company’s share repurchase program in August 2023, the Company has repurchased and retired 1,366,756 shares of its common stock at an average price of $272.89 per share.

The following definitions apply to these terms as used in this release:

Domestic average unit volume (“AUV”) consists of the average annual sales of all restaurants that have been open for a trailing 52-week period or longer. This measure is calculated by dividing sales during the applicable period for all restaurants being measured by the number of restaurants being measured. Domestic AUV includes revenue from both company-owned and franchised restaurants. Domestic AUV allows management to assess our domestic company-owned and franchised restaurant economics. Changes in domestic AUV are primarily driven by increases in same store sales and are also influenced by opening new restaurants.

Domestic same store sales reflects the change in year-over-year sales for the same store restaurant base. We define the same store restaurant base to include those restaurants open for at least 52 full weeks. This measure highlights the performance of existing restaurants, while excluding the impact of new restaurant openings and permanent closures. We review same store sales for domestic company-owned restaurants as well as system-wide domestic restaurants. Domestic same store sales growth is driven by increases in transactions and average transaction size. Transaction size increases are driven by price increases or favorable mix shift from either an increase in items purchased or shifts into higher priced items.

System-wide sales represents net sales for all of our company-owned and franchised restaurants, as reported by franchisees. This measure allows management to better assess changes in our royalty revenue, our overall store performance, the health of our brand and the strength of our market position relative to competitors. Our system-wide sales growth is driven by new restaurant openings as well as increases in same store sales.

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income before interest expense, net, income tax expense (benefit), and depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), further adjusted for losses on debt extinguishment and financing transactions, transaction costs, costs and fees associated with investments in our strategic initiatives, system implementation costs, and stock-based compensation expense.

We caution investors that amounts presented in accordance with our definitions above may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by our competitors because not all companies and analysts calculate certain non-GAAP measurements in the same manner.

Conference Call and Webcast

The Company will host a conference call today to discuss the fiscal fourth quarter 2024 financial results at 10:00 AM Eastern Time. The conference call can be joined telephonically by dialing 1-877-259-5243 or 1-412-317-5176 (international) and asking for the Wingstop conference call. A replay will be available two hours after the call and can be accessed by dialing 1-877-344-7529 or 1-412-317-0088 (international), then entering the replay code 4605313. The replay will be available through Wednesday, February 26, 2025.

The conference call will also be webcast live and later archived on the investor relations section of Wingstop’s corporate website at ir.wingstop.com under the ‘News & Events’ section.

About Wingstop

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Dallas, TX, Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ: WING) operates and franchises more than 2,550 locations worldwide. The Wing Experts are dedicated to Serving the World Flavor through an unparalleled guest experience and a best-in-class technology platform, all while offering classic and boneless wings, tenders, and chicken sandwiches, cooked to order and hand sauced-and-tossed in fans’ choice of 12 bold, distinctive flavors. Wingstop’s menu also features signature sides including fresh-cut, seasoned fries and freshly-made ranch and bleu cheese dips.

In fiscal year 2024, Wingstop’s system-wide sales increased 36.8% to approximately $4.8 billion, marking the 21st consecutive year of same store sales growth. With a vision of becoming a Top 10 Global Restaurant Brand, Wingstop’s system is comprised of corporate-owned restaurants and independent franchisees, or brand partners, who account for approximately 98% of Wingstop’s total restaurant count.

A key to this business success and consumer fandom stems from The Wingstop Way, which includes a core value system of being Authentic, Entrepreneurial, Service-minded, and Fun. The Wingstop Way extends to the brand’s environmental, social and governance platform as Wingstop seeks to provide value to all guests.

In 2024, Wingstop secured a place on Ad Age’s ‘Hottest Brands’ list. The Company also earned a spot as one of QSR Magazine’s “Best Brands to Work For” and ranked #14 on Entrepreneur Magazine’s ‘Franchise 500’ as one of the fastest-growing franchises. In 2023, Wingstop earned its “Best Places to Work” certification.

For more information, visit www.wingstop.com or www.wingstop.com/own-a-wingstop and follow @Wingstop on X, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Learn more about Wingstop’s involvement in its local communities at www.wingstopcharities.org. Unless specifically noted otherwise, references to our website addresses, the website addresses of third parties or other references to online content in this press release do not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained on such website and should not be considered part of this release.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, we use non-GAAP financial measures, including those indicated above. By providing non-GAAP financial measures, together with a reconciliation to the most comparable GAAP measure, we believe we are enhancing investors’ understanding of our business and our results of operations, as well as assisting investors in evaluating how well we are executing our strategic initiatives. These measures are not intended to be considered in isolation or as substitutes for, or superior to, financial measures prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP measures used in this press release may be different from the measures used by other companies. A reconciliation of each measure to the most directly comparable GAAP measure is available in this news release. In addition, the Current Report on Form 8-K furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) concurrent with the issuance of this press release includes a more detailed description of each of these non-GAAP financial measures, together with a discussion of the usefulness and purpose of such measures.

Forward-looking Statements

This news release includes statements of our expectations, intentions, plans and beliefs that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are intended to come within the safe harbor protection provided by those sections. These statements, which involve risks and uncertainties, relate to the discussion of our business strategies and our expectations concerning future operations, margins, profitability, trends, liquidity and capital resources and to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “outlook,” “guidance,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “think,” “estimate,” “seek,” “predict,” “can,” “could,” “project,” “potential” or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements are accompanied by such terms. Examples of forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, our 2025 fiscal year outlook for domestic same store sales growth, global net new units, SG&A expense, stock-based compensation expense, interest expense, net and depreciation and amortization. These forward-looking statements are made based on expectations and beliefs concerning future events affecting us and are subject to uncertainties, risks, and factors relating to our operations and business environments, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control, that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those matters expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Please refer to the risk factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which can be found at the SEC’s website www.sec.gov. The discussion of these risks is specifically incorporated by reference into this news release.

When considering forward-looking statements in this news release or that we make in other reports or statements, you should keep in mind the cautionary statements in this news release and future reports we file with the SEC. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and we cannot predict when they may arise or how they may affect us. Any forward-looking statement in this news release speaks only as of the date on which it was made. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

Media Contact
Brandon Boone
[email protected]

Investor Contact
Kristen Thomas
[email protected]

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

December 28,
2024

December 30,
2023

Assets

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents

$ 315,910

$ 90,216

Restricted cash

20,868

11,444

Accounts receivable, net

19,661

12,408

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

6,520

4,948

Advertising fund assets, restricted

32,659

25,328

Total current assets

395,618

144,344

Property and equipment, net

125,953

91,292

Operating lease assets

49,046

19,092

Goodwill

74,718

67,708

Trademarks

32,700

32,700

Customer relationships, net

6,476

7,740

Other non-current assets

31,735

14,949

Total assets

$ 716,246

$ 377,825

Liabilities and stockholders’ deficit

Current liabilities

Accounts payable

$ 6,943

$ 4,725

Current portion of operating lease liabilities

1,059

2,380

Other current liabilities

46,782

38,571

Advertising fund liabilities

32,659

25,328

Total current liabilities

87,443

71,004

Long-term debt, net

1,206,201

712,327

Operating lease liabilities

58,169

17,807

Deferred revenues, net of current

38,877

30,145

Deferred income tax liabilities, net

1,085

3,721

Other non-current liabilities

57

187

Total liabilities

1,391,832

835,191

Commitments and contingencies

Stockholders’ deficit

Common stock, $0.01 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized;
28,662,614 and 29,337,920 shares issued and outstanding as of
December 28, 2024 and December 30, 2023, respectively

287

293

Additional paid-in-capital

1,568

2,676

Retained deficit

(676,940)

(459,994)

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(501)

(341)

Total stockholders’ deficit

(675,586)

(457,366)

Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficit

$ 716,246

$ 377,825

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(amounts in thousands, except per share data)

Thirteen Weeks Ended

Fiscal Year Ended

December 28,
2024

December 30,
2023

December 28,
2024

December 30,
2023

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Revenue:

Royalty revenue, franchise fees and other

$ 75,702

$ 57,705

$ 288,354

$ 207,077

Advertising fees

56,063

43,128

217,630

157,138

Company-owned restaurant sales

30,056

26,224

119,823

95,840

Total revenue

161,821

127,057

625,807

460,055

Costs and expenses:

Cost of sales (1)

23,321

19,687

91,632

70,646

Advertising expenses

60,601

45,830

233,306

166,583

Selling, general and administrative

31,232

28,078

116,801

96,898

Depreciation and amortization

5,865

3,648

19,490

13,239

(Gain) loss on disposal of assets

(1,038)

(1,038)

95

Total costs and expenses

119,981

97,243

460,191

347,461

Operating income

41,840

29,814

165,616

112,594

Interest expense, net

6,418

4,890

21,292

18,227

Other (income) expense

(1,292)

(66)

(2,866)

57

Income before income tax expense

36,714

24,990

147,190

94,310

Income tax expense

9,961

6,176

38,473

24,135

Net income

$ 26,753

$ 18,814

$ 108,717

$ 70,175

Earnings per share

Basic

$ 0.92

$ 0.64

$ 3.72

$ 2.36

Diluted

$ 0.92

$ 0.64

$ 3.70

$ 2.35

Weighted average shares outstanding

Basic

29,091

29,407

29,262

29,769

Diluted

29,210

29,508

29,384

29,856

Dividends per share

$ 0.27

$ 0.22

$ 0.98

$ 0.82

________________________

(1)

Cost of sales includes all operating expenses of company-owned restaurants, including advertising expenses, but excludes
depreciation and amortization, which are presented separately.

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Unaudited Supplemental Information

Cost of Sales Margin Analysis

(amounts in thousands)

Thirteen Weeks Ended

December 28, 2024

December 30, 2023

In dollars

As a % of
company-owned
restaurant sales

In dollars

As a % of
company-owned
restaurant sales

Cost of sales:

Food, beverage and packaging costs

$ 11,184

37.2 %

$ 9,037

34.5 %

Labor costs

7,299

24.3 %

6,279

23.9 %

Other restaurant operating expenses

5,589

18.6 %

5,035

19.2 %

Vendor rebates

(751)

(2.5) %

(664)

(2.5) %

Total cost of sales

$ 23,321

77.6 %

$ 19,687

75.1 %

Fiscal Year Ended

December 28, 2024

December 30, 2023

In dollars

As a % of
company-owned
restaurant sales

In dollars

As a % of
company-owned
restaurant sales

Cost of sales:

Food, beverage and packaging costs

$ 43,371

36.2 %

$ 31,697

33.1 %

Labor costs

28,317

23.6 %

22,963

24.0 %

Other restaurant operating expenses

23,025

19.2 %

18,314

19.1 %

Vendor rebates

(3,081)

(2.6) %

(2,328)

(2.4) %

Total cost of sales

$ 91,632

76.5 %

$ 70,646

73.7 %

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Unaudited Supplemental Information

Restaurant Count

Thirteen Weeks Ended

Fiscal Year Ended

December 28,
2024

December 30,
2023

December 28,
2024

December 30,
2023

Domestic Franchised Activity

Beginning of period

2,064

1,791

1,877

1,678

Openings

83

86

274

202

Closures

(1)

Acquired by Company

(1)

(4)

(3)

Re-franchised by Company

7

1

7

1

Restaurants end of period

2,154

1,877

2,154

1,877

Domestic Company-Owned Activity

Beginning of period

56

46

49

43

Openings

1

3

4

4

Closures

Acquired by Company

1

4

3

Re-franchised to franchisees

(7)

(1)

(7)

(1)

Restaurants end of period

50

49

50

49

Total Domestic Restaurants

2,204

1,926

2,204

1,926

International Franchised Activity(1)

Beginning of period

338

262

288

238

Openings

22

29

77

59

Closures

(1)

(3)

(6)

(9)

Restaurants end of period

359

288

359

288

Total System-wide Restaurants

2,563

2,214

2,563

2,214

________________________

(1)

Includes U.S. territories.

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Non-GAAP Financial Measures – EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

(Unaudited)

(amounts in thousands)

Thirteen Weeks Ended

Fiscal Year Ended

December 28,
2024

December 30,
2023

December 28,
2024

December 30,
2023

Net income

$ 26,753

$ 18,814

$ 108,717

$ 70,175

Interest expense, net

6,418

4,890

21,292

18,227

Income tax expense

9,961

6,176

38,473

24,135

Depreciation and amortization

5,865

3,648

19,490

13,239

EBITDA

$ 48,997

$ 33,528

$ 187,972

$ 125,776

Additional adjustments:

Transaction costs (a)

316

316

Consulting fees (b)

5,150

System implementation costs (c)

986

1,713

Stock-based compensation expense (d)

6,049

5,539

22,060

15,558

Adjusted EBITDA

$ 56,348

$ 39,067

$ 212,061

$ 146,484

________________________

(a)

Represents costs and expenses related to our 2024 securitized financing facility; all transaction costs are included in Selling,
general and administrative on the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

(b)

Represents non-recurring consulting fees that are not part of our ongoing operations and are incurred to execute discrete,
project-based strategic initiatives, which are included in Selling, general and administrative on the Consolidated Statements
of Operations. The costs incurred in the thirteen weeks ended December 30, 2023 include consulting fees relating to a
comprehensive review of our long-term growth strategy for our domestic business to explore potential future initiatives,
which review was completed in fiscal year 2023. Given the magnitude and scope of this strategic review that is not expected
to recur in the foreseeable future, the Company considers the incremental consulting fees incurred with respect to the initiative
not reflective of the ongoing costs to operate its business.

(c)

System implementation costs represent non-recurring expenses incurred related to the development and implementation of
new enterprise resource planning and human capital management technology, which are included in Selling, general and
administrative on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

(d)

Includes non-cash, stock-based compensation, net of forfeitures.

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SOURCE Wingstop Restaurants Inc.

Wingstop Inc. Reports Fiscal Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Delivers Record Third Quarter with 106 Net New Openings and 17.1% Unit Growth

Domestic Same Store Sales Increased 20.9%, Driven by Transaction Growth

DALLAS, Oct. 30, 2024 — Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ: WING) today announced financial results for the fiscal third quarter ended September 28, 2024.

Highlights for the fiscal third quarter 2024 compared to the fiscal third quarter 2023:

  • System-wide sales increased 39.4% to $1.2 billion
  • 106 net new openings in the fiscal third quarter 2024
  • Domestic restaurant AUV increased to $2.1 million
  • Domestic same store sales increased 20.9%
  • Digital sales increased to 69.0% of system-wide sales
  • Total revenue increased 38.8% to $162.5 million
  • Net income increased 31.9% to $25.7 million, or $0.88 per diluted share
  • Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, increased 39.5% to $53.7 million

Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure. A reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to the most directly comparable financial measure presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) is set forth in the schedule accompanying this release. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

“Our third quarter results demonstrated the staying power of our multi-year strategies we are executing against, delivering 20.9% same store sales growth, primarily driven by transaction growth,” said Michael Skipworth, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We opened a record 106 net new units in the third quarter, a 17.1% growth in system-wide restaurants over the prior year, which showcases the excitement among our Brand Partners who are seeing industry-leading returns.”

Key operating metrics for the fiscal third quarter 2024 compared to the fiscal third quarter 2023:

Thirteen Weeks Ended

September 28, 2024

September 30, 2023

Number of system-wide restaurants open at end of period

2,458

2,099

Number of domestic franchise restaurants open at end of period

2,064

1,791

Number of international franchise restaurants open at end of period (1)

338

262

System-wide sales (in millions)

$ 1,233

$ 885

Domestic AUV (in thousands)

$ 2,116

$ 1,755

Domestic same store sales growth

20.9 %

15.3 %

Company-owned domestic same store sales growth

7.3 %

6.0 %

Net income (in thousands)

$ 25,732

$ 19,511

Adjusted EBITDA (in thousands)

$ 53,672

$ 38,483

_______________________

(1) Including U.S. territories.

Fiscal third quarter 2024 financial results

Total revenue for the fiscal third quarter 2024 increased to $162.5 million from $117.1 million in the fiscal third quarter last year. Royalty revenue, franchise fees and other increased $21.2 million, of which $9.6 million was due to domestic same store sales growth of 20.9%, and $9.3 million was due to net new franchise development. Advertising fees increased $16.8 million due to a 39.4% increase in system-wide sales in the fiscal third quarter 2024, as well as an increase in the national advertising fund contribution rate to 5.3% from 5.0%, effective the first day of the fiscal second quarter 2024. Company-owned restaurant sales increased $7.4 million due to the addition of 10 net new company-owned restaurants since the prior fiscal third quarter and 7.3% company-owned domestic same store sales growth, driven primarily by an increase in transactions.

Cost of sales was $24.4 million compared to $17.6 million in the fiscal third quarter of the prior year. As a percentage of company-owned restaurant sales, cost of sales increased to 77.8% from 73.6% in the prior year comparable period. The increase as a percentage of company-owned restaurant sales was driven by food, beverage and packaging costs primarily resulting from an increase in the cost of bone-in chicken wings as compared to the prior fiscal third quarter. Our purchases in the prior fiscal third quarter were tied primarily to the spot market, which benefited from significant deflation in the cost of bone-in chicken wings.

Selling, general & administrative (“SG&A”) expense increased $9.2 million to $32.3 million from $23.0 million in the fiscal third quarter of the prior year. The increase in SG&A expense was driven by an increase in performance-based stock compensation and incentive compensation expense of $4.9 million primarily related to the Company’s performance, an increase in headcount related expenses of $2.8 million to support the growth in our business, an increase in consulting and other professional fees of $1.3 million associated with our strategic initiatives, including system implementation costs.

Depreciation and amortization increased $1.7 million to $5.1 million from $3.4 million in the fiscal third quarter of the prior year. The increase in depreciation and amortization was primarily due to depreciation expense for the software assets placed in service during the second fiscal quarter 2024 related to our MyWingstop technology platform.

Financial Outlook

The Company is reiterating guidance of approximately 20% domestic same store sales growth for fiscal year 2024.

Additionally, based on year-to-date results, the Company is providing updated guidance for 2024:

  • 320 to 330 global net new units, previously 285 to 300;
  • Stock-based compensation expense of approximately $22.5 million, previously $20 million;
  • SG&A expense of between $117.5$118.5 million, previously $114 – 116 million; and
  • Depreciation and amortization of approximately $19 million, previously $18$19 million.

Restaurant Development

As of September 28, 2024, there were 2,458 Wingstop restaurants system-wide. This included 2,120 restaurants in the United States, of which 2,064 were franchised restaurants and 56 were company-owned, and 338 franchised restaurants were in international markets and U.S. territories. During the fiscal third quarter 2024, there were 106 net system-wide Wingstop restaurant openings.

Quarterly Dividend

In recognition of the Company’s strong cash flow generation and our commitment to returning value to stockholders, on October 29, 2024, our Board of Directors authorized and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share of common stock, resulting in a total dividend of approximately $7.9 million. This dividend will be paid on December 6, 2024 to stockholders of record as of November 15, 2024.

Share Repurchases

During the fiscal third quarter 2024, the Company repurchased and retired 93,617 shares of its common stock at an average price of $373.68 per share. As of September 28, 2024, $61.1 million remained available under the share repurchase program previously approved by the Company’s Board of Directors.

The Company has repurchased and retired 815,431 shares of its common stock at an average price of $276.43 per share since inception of its share repurchase program in August 2023.

The following definitions apply to these terms as used in this release:

Domestic average unit volume (“AUV”) consists of the average annual sales of all restaurants that have been open for a trailing 52-week period or longer. This measure is calculated by dividing sales during the applicable period for all restaurants being measured by the number of restaurants being measured. Domestic AUV includes revenue from both company-owned and franchised restaurants. Domestic AUV allows management to assess our domestic company-owned and franchised restaurant economics. Changes in domestic AUV are primarily driven by increases in same store sales and are also influenced by opening new restaurants.

Domestic same store sales reflects the change in year-over-year sales for the same store restaurant base. We define the same store restaurant base to include those restaurants open for at least 52 full weeks. This measure highlights the performance of existing restaurants, while excluding the impact of new restaurant openings and permanent closures. We review same store sales for domestic company-owned restaurants as well as system-wide domestic restaurants. Domestic same store sales growth is driven by increases in transactions and average transaction size. Transaction size increases are driven by price increases or favorable mix shift from either an increase in items purchased or shifts into higher priced items.

System-wide sales represents net sales for all of our company-owned and franchised restaurants, as reported by franchisees. This measure allows management to better assess changes in our royalty revenue, our overall store performance, the health of our brand and the strength of our market position relative to competitors. Our system-wide sales growth is driven by new restaurant openings as well as increases in same store sales.

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income before interest expense, net, income tax expense (benefit), and depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), further adjusted for losses on debt extinguishment and financing transactions, transaction costs, costs and fees associated with investments in our strategic initiatives, system implementation costs, and stock-based compensation expense.

We caution investors that amounts presented in accordance with our definitions above may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by our competitors because not all companies and analysts calculate certain non-GAAP measurements in the same manner.

Conference Call and Webcast

The Company will host a conference call today to discuss the fiscal third quarter 2024 financial results at 10:00 AM Eastern Time. The conference call can be joined telephonically by dialing 1-877-259-5243 or 1-412-317-5176 (international) and asking for the Wingstop conference call. A replay will be available two hours after the call and can be accessed by dialing 1-877-344-7529 or 1-412-317-0088 (international), then entering the replay code 2235392. The replay will be available through Wednesday, November 6, 2024.

The conference call will also be webcast live and later archived on the investor relations section of Wingstop’s corporate website at ir.wingstop.com under the ‘News & Events’ section.

About Wingstop

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Dallas, TX, Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ: WING) operates and franchises more than 2,450 locations worldwide. The Wing Experts are dedicated to Serving the World Flavor through an unparalleled guest experience and a best-in-class technology platform, all while offering classic and boneless wings, tenders, and chicken sandwiches, cooked to order and hand sauced-and-tossed in fans’ choice of 12 bold, distinctive flavors. Wingstop’s menu also features signature sides including fresh-cut, seasoned fries and freshly-made ranch and bleu cheese dips.

In fiscal year 2023, Wingstop’s system-wide sales increased 27.1% to approximately $3.5 billion, marking the 20th consecutive year of same store sales growth. With a vision of becoming a Top 10 Global Restaurant Brand, Wingstop’s system is comprised of corporate-owned restaurants and independent franchisees, or brand partners, who account for approximately 98% of Wingstop’s total restaurant count of 2,458 as of September 28, 2024.

A key to this business success and consumer fandom stems from The Wingstop Way, which includes a core value system of being Authentic, Entrepreneurial, Service-minded, and Fun. The Wingstop Way extends to the brand’s environmental, social and governance platform as Wingstop seeks to provide value to all guests.

In 2023, Wingstop earned its “Best Places to Work” certification. The Company landed on Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Fastest-Growing Franchises” list and ranked #16 on “Franchise 500.” Wingstop was listed on Technomic’s “Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report,” QSR Magazine’s “2023 QSR 50” and Franchise Time’s “40 Smartest-Growing Franchises.”

For more information, visit www.wingstop.com or www.wingstop.com/own-a-wingstop and follow @Wingstop on X, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Learn more about Wingstop’s involvement in its local communities at www.wingstopcharities.org. Unless specifically noted otherwise, references to our website addresses, the website addresses of third parties or other references to online content in this press release do not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained on such website and should not be considered part of this release.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, we use non-GAAP financial measures, including those indicated above. By providing non-GAAP financial measures, together with a reconciliation to the most comparable GAAP measure, we believe we are enhancing investors’ understanding of our business and our results of operations, as well as assisting investors in evaluating how well we are executing our strategic initiatives. These measures are not intended to be considered in isolation or as substitutes for, or superior to, financial measures prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP measures used in this press release may be different from the measures used by other companies. A reconciliation of each measure to the most directly comparable GAAP measure is available in this news release. In addition, the Current Report on Form 8-K furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) concurrent with the issuance of this press release includes a more detailed description of each of these non-GAAP financial measures, together with a discussion of the usefulness and purpose of such measures.

Forward-looking Statements

This news release includes statements of our expectations, intentions, plans and beliefs that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are intended to come within the safe harbor protection provided by those sections. These statements, which involve risks and uncertainties, relate to the discussion of our business strategies and our expectations concerning future operations, margins, profitability, trends, liquidity and capital resources and to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “outlook,” “guidance,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “think,” “estimate,” “seek,” “predict,” “can,” “could,” “project,” “potential” or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements are accompanied by such terms. Examples of forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, our 2024 fiscal year outlook for domestic same store sales growth, global net new units, SG&A expense, stock-based compensation expense, and depreciation and amortization. These forward-looking statements are made based on expectations and beliefs concerning future events affecting us and are subject to uncertainties, risks, and factors relating to our operations and business environments, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control, that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those matters expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Please refer to the risk factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which can be found at the SEC’s website www.sec.gov. The discussion of these risks is specifically incorporated by reference into this news release.

When considering forward-looking statements in this news release or that we make in other reports or statements, you should keep in mind the cautionary statements in this news release and future reports we file with the SEC. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and we cannot predict when they may arise or how they may affect us. Any forward-looking statement in this news release speaks only as of the date on which it was made. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

Media Contact
Maddie Lupori
[email protected]

Investor Contact
Kristen Thomas
[email protected]

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

September 28,
2024

December 30,
2023

(Unaudited)

Assets

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents

$ 83,958

$ 90,216

Restricted cash

11,444

11,444

Accounts receivable, net

16,939

12,408

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

7,225

4,948

Advertising fund assets, restricted

46,671

25,328

Total current assets

166,237

144,344

Property and equipment, net

119,119

91,292

Operating lease assets

57,753

19,092

Goodwill

74,749

67,708

Trademarks

32,700

32,700

Customer relationships, net

6,792

7,740

Other non-current assets

27,412

14,949

Total assets

$ 484,762

$ 377,825

Liabilities and stockholders’ deficit

Current liabilities

Accounts payable

$ 10,301

$ 4,725

Current portion of operating lease liabilities

3,533

2,380

Other current liabilities

58,386

38,571

Advertising fund liabilities

46,671

25,328

Total current liabilities

118,891

71,004

Long-term debt, net

713,729

712,327

Operating lease liabilities

60,414

17,807

Deferred revenues, net of current

37,007

30,145

Deferred income tax liabilities, net

2,097

3,721

Other non-current liabilities

90

187

Total liabilities

932,228

835,191

Commitments and contingencies

Stockholders’ deficit

Common stock, $0.01 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized;
29,212,082 and 29,337,920 shares issued and outstanding as of
September 28, 2024 and December 30, 2023, respectively

292

293

Additional paid-in-capital

1,515

2,676

Retained deficit

(449,336)

(459,994)

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

63

(341)

Total stockholders’ deficit

(447,466)

(457,366)

Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficit

$ 484,762

$ 377,825

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(amounts in thousands, except per share data)

Thirteen Weeks Ended

September 28,
2024

September 30,
2023

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Revenue:

Royalty revenue, franchise fees and other

$ 74,395

$ 53,200

Advertising fees

56,764

39,951

Company-owned restaurant sales

31,339

23,953

Total revenue

162,498

117,104

Costs and expenses:

Cost of sales (1)

24,367

17,622

Advertising expenses

60,965

42,381

Selling, general and administrative

32,294

23,047

Depreciation and amortization

5,054

3,384

Loss on disposal of assets

18

Total costs and expenses

122,680

86,452

Operating income

39,818

30,652

Interest expense, net

5,130

4,520

Other (income) expense

(800)

(19)

Income before income tax expense

35,488

26,151

Income tax expense

9,756

6,640

Net income

$ 25,732

$ 19,511

Earnings per share

Basic

$ 0.88

$ 0.66

Diluted

$ 0.88

$ 0.65

Weighted average shares outstanding

Basic

29,265

29,750

Diluted

29,383

29,818

Dividends per share

$ 0.27

$ 0.22

_______________________

(1)

Cost of sales includes all operating expenses of company-owned restaurants, including advertising expenses, but excludes depreciation and amortization, which are presented separately.

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Unaudited Supplemental Information
Cost of Sales Margin Analysis
(amounts in thousands)

Thirteen Weeks Ended

September 28, 2024

September 30, 2023

In dollars

As a % of
company-owned
restaurant sales

In dollars

As a % of
company-owned
restaurant sales

Cost of sales:

Food, beverage and packaging costs

$ 11,590

37.0 %

$ 7,910

33.0 %

Labor costs

7,355

23.5 %

5,646

23.6 %

Other restaurant operating expenses

6,270

20.0 %

4,645

19.4 %

Vendor rebates

(848)

(2.7) %

(579)

(2.4) %

Total cost of sales

$ 24,367

77.8 %

$ 17,622

73.6 %

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Unaudited Supplemental Information
Restaurant Count

Thirteen Weeks Ended

September 28,
2024

September 30,
2023

Domestic Franchised Activity

Beginning of period

1,988

1,749

Openings

79

42

Closures

Acquired by Company

(3)

Restaurants end of period

2,064

1,791

Domestic Company-Owned Activity

Beginning of period

52

45

Openings

1

1

Closures

Acquired by Company

3

Restaurants end of period

56

46

Total Domestic Restaurants

2,120

1,837

International Franchised Activity(1)

Beginning of period

312

252

Openings

28

13

Closures

(2)

(3)

Restaurants end of period

338

262

Total System-wide Restaurants

2,458

2,099

_______________________

(1) Includes U.S. Territories.

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Non-GAAP Financial Measures – EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA
(Unaudited)
(amounts in thousands)

Thirteen Weeks Ended

September 28,
2024

September 30,
2023

Net income

$ 25,732

$ 19,511

Interest expense, net

5,130

4,520

Income tax expense

9,756

6,640

Depreciation and amortization

5,054

3,384

EBITDA

$ 45,672

$ 34,055

Additional adjustments:

Consulting fees (a)

1,300

System implementation costs (b)

727

Stock-based compensation expense (c)

7,273

3,128

Adjusted EBITDA

$ 53,672

$ 38,483

_______________________

(a)

Represents non-recurring consulting fees that are not part of our ongoing operations and are incurred to execute discrete, project-based strategic initiatives, which are included in Selling, general and administrative on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The costs incurred in the thirteen weeks ended September 30, 2023 include consulting fees relating to a comprehensive review of our long-term growth strategy for our domestic business to explore potential future initiatives, which review was completed in fiscal year 2023. Given the magnitude and scope of this strategic review that is not expected to recur in the foreseeable future, the Company considers the incremental consulting fees incurred with respect to the initiative not reflective of the ongoing costs to operate its business.

(b)

System implementation costs represent non-recurring expenses incurred related to the development and implementation of new enterprise resource planning and human capital management technology, which are included in Selling, general and administrative on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

(c)

Includes non-cash, stock-based compensation, net of forfeitures.

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SOURCE Wingstop Restaurants Inc.

Wingstop Inc. Reports Fiscal Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Delivers 15.0% Unit Growth

Domestic Same Store Sales Increased 28.7%, Driven by Transaction Growth

DALLAS, July 31, 2024 — Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ: WING) today announced financial results for the fiscal second quarter ended June 29, 2024.

Highlights for the fiscal second quarter 2024 compared to the fiscal second quarter 2023:

  • System-wide sales increased 45.2% to $1.2 billion
  • 73 net new openings in the fiscal second quarter 2024
  • Domestic restaurant AUV increased to $2.0 million
  • Domestic same store sales increased 28.7%
  • Digital sales increased to 68.3% of system-wide sales
  • Total revenue increased 45.3% to $155.7 million
  • Net income increased 69.9% to $27.5 million, or $0.93 per diluted share
  • Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP measure, increased 50.7% to $51.8 million

Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure. A reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to the most directly comparable financial measure presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) is set forth in the schedule accompanying this release. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”

“The second quarter marked another industry-leading quarter for Wingstop, further solidifying our category-of-one position. With same store sales growth of 28.7%, driven primarily by transactions, our AUVs now exceed $2.0 million, a target we set only two years ago when AUVs just crossed $1.5 million. Due to the strength and staying power of our multi-year strategies, we believe we have line of sight to a new AUV target of $3.0 million,” said Michael Skipworth, President and Chief Executive Officer. “This growth in AUVs has further enhanced our best-in-class unit economics, and as we continue to open new restaurants at a record pace, we believe there is an opportunity to more than triple our current U.S. footprint.”

Key operating metrics for the fiscal second quarter 2024 compared to the fiscal second quarter 2023:

Thirteen Weeks Ended

June 29, 2024

July 1, 2023

Number of system-wide restaurants open at end of period

2,352

2,046

Number of domestic franchise restaurants open at end of period

1,988

1,749

Number of international franchise restaurants open at end of period (1)

312

252

System-wide sales (in millions)

$ 1,176

$ 810

Domestic AUV (in thousands)

$ 2,032

$ 1,704

Domestic same store sales growth

28.7 %

16.8 %

Company-owned domestic same store sales growth

14.1 %

5.7 %

Net income (in thousands)

$ 27,485

$ 16,181

Adjusted EBITDA (in thousands)

$ 51,778

$ 34,350

______________________________

(1) Including U.S. territories.

Fiscal second quarter 2024 financial results

Total revenue for the fiscal second quarter 2024 increased to $155.7 million from $107.2 million in the fiscal second quarter last year. Royalty revenue, franchise fees and other increased $23.2 million, of which $12.1 million was due to domestic same store sales growth of 28.7%, and $8.1 million was due to net new franchise development. Advertising fees increased $18.1 million due to a 45.2% increase in system-wide sales in the fiscal second quarter 2024, as well as an increase in the national advertising fund contribution rate to 5.3% from 5.0%, effective the first day of the fiscal second quarter 2024. Company-owned restaurant sales increased $7.3 million due to the addition of seven net new company-owned restaurants since the prior fiscal second quarter and 14.1% company-owned domestic same store sales growth, driven primarily by an increase in transactions.

Cost of sales was $22.7 million compared to $16.6 million in the fiscal second quarter of the prior year. As a percentage of company-owned restaurant sales, cost of sales increased to 75.9% from 73.7% in the prior year comparable period. The increase as a percentage of company-owned restaurant sales was driven by food, beverage and packaging costs primarily resulting from an increase in the cost of bone-in chicken wings as compared to the prior fiscal second quarter. Our purchases in the prior fiscal second quarter were tied primarily to the spot market, which benefited from significant deflation in the cost of bone-in chicken wings. The increase in food, beverage and packaging costs was partially offset by a decrease in labor costs and other restaurant operating expenses as a percentage of company-owned restaurant sales primarily due to leverage related to the company-owned domestic same store sales increase of 14.1%.

Selling, general & administrative (“SG&A”) expense increased $6.0 million to $28.1 million from $22.1 million in the fiscal second quarter of the prior year. The increase in SG&A expense was driven by an increase in headcount-related expenses of $1.9 million to support the growth in our business, an increase in incentive compensation and performance-based stock compensation expense of $1.9 million primarily related to our performance, and an increase in consulting and other professional fees of $1.0 million associated with our strategic initiatives.

Depreciation and amortization increased $1.9 million to $5.2 million from $3.2 million in the fiscal second quarter of the prior year. The increase in depreciation and amortization was primarily due to depreciation expense for the software assets placed in service related to our MyWingstop technology platform during the fiscal second quarter 2024.

Financial Outlook

Based on year-to-date results, the Company is providing updated guidance for 2024:

  • Approximately 20% domestic same store sales growth, previously low double digits;
  • 285 to 300 global net new units, previously 275 to 295; and
  • SG&A expense of between $114$116 million, previously $111 million.

Additionally, the Company is reiterating guidance for 2024:

  • Depreciation and amortization of between $18$19 million; and
  • Stock-based compensation expense of approximately $20 million.

Restaurant Development

As of June 29, 2024, there were 2,352 Wingstop restaurants system-wide. This included 2,040 restaurants in the United States, of which 1,988 were franchised restaurants and 52 were company-owned, and 312 franchised restaurants were in international markets and U.S. territories. During the fiscal second quarter 2024, there were 73 net system-wide Wingstop restaurant openings.

Quarterly Dividend

In recognition of the Company’s strong cash flow generation and our commitment to returning value to stockholders, on July 30, 2024, our Board of Directors approved an increase in the quarterly dividend payable to Wingstop stockholders from $0.22 to $0.27 per share of common stock, resulting in a total dividend of approximately $7.9 million. This dividend will be paid on September 6, 2024 to stockholders of record as of August 16, 2024.

Share Repurchases

During the fiscal second quarter of 2024, the Company repurchased and retired 75,862 shares of its common stock at an average price of $381.29 per share. As of June 29, 2024, $96.1 million remained available under the share repurchase program previously approved by the Company’s Board of Directors.

The Company has repurchased and retired 721,814 shares of its common stock at an average price of $217.32 per share since inception of its share repurchase program in August 2023.

The following definitions apply to these terms as used in this release:

Domestic average unit volume (“AUV”) consists of the average annual sales of all restaurants that have been open for a trailing 52-week period or longer. This measure is calculated by dividing sales during the applicable period for all restaurants being measured by the number of restaurants being measured. Domestic AUV includes revenue from both company-owned and franchised restaurants. Domestic AUV allows management to assess our domestic company-owned and franchised restaurant economics. Changes in domestic AUV are primarily driven by increases in same store sales and are also influenced by opening new restaurants.

Domestic same store sales reflects the change in year-over-year sales for the same store restaurant base. We define the same store restaurant base to include those restaurants open for at least 52 full weeks. This measure highlights the performance of existing restaurants, while excluding the impact of new restaurant openings and permanent closures. We review same store sales for domestic company-owned restaurants as well as system-wide domestic restaurants. Domestic same store sales growth is driven by increases in transactions and average transaction size. Transaction size increases are driven by price increases or favorable mix shift from either an increase in items purchased or shifts into higher priced items.

System-wide sales represents net sales for all of our company-owned and franchised restaurants, as reported by franchisees. This measure allows management to better assess changes in our royalty revenue, our overall store performance, the health of our brand and the strength of our market position relative to competitors. Our system-wide sales growth is driven by new restaurant openings as well as increases in same store sales.

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income before interest expense, net, income tax expense (benefit), and depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), further adjusted for losses on debt extinguishment and financing transactions, transaction costs, costs and fees associated with investments in our strategic initiatives, and stock-based compensation expense.

We caution investors that amounts presented in accordance with our definitions above may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by our competitors because not all companies and analysts calculate certain non-GAAP measurements in the same manner.

Conference Call and Webcast

The Company will host a conference call today to discuss the fiscal second quarter 2024 financial results at 10:00 AM Eastern Time. The conference call can be joined telephonically by dialing 1-877-259-5243 or 1-412-317-5176 (international) and asking for the Wingstop conference call. A replay will be available two hours after the call and can be accessed by dialing 1-877-344-7529 or 1-412-317-0088 (international), then entering the replay code 7955331. The replay will be available through Wednesday, August 7, 2024.

The conference call will also be webcast live and later archived on the investor relations section of Wingstop’s corporate website at ir.wingstop.com under the ‘News & Events’ section.

About Wingstop

Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Dallas, TX, Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ: WING) operates and franchises more than 2,350 locations worldwide. The Wing Experts are dedicated to Serving the World Flavor through an unparalleled guest experience and a best-in-class technology platform, all while offering classic and boneless wings, tenders, and chicken sandwiches, cooked to order and hand sauced-and-tossed in fans’ choice of 12 bold, distinctive flavors. Wingstop’s menu also features signature sides including fresh-cut, seasoned fries and freshly-made ranch and bleu cheese dips.

In fiscal year 2023, Wingstop’s system-wide sales increased 27.1% to approximately $3.5 billion, marking the 20th consecutive year of same store sales growth. With a vision of becoming a Top 10 Global Restaurant Brand, Wingstop’s system is comprised of corporate-owned restaurants and independent franchisees, or brand partners, who account for approximately 98% of Wingstop’s total restaurant count of 2,352 as of June 29, 2024.

A key to this business success and consumer fandom stems from The Wingstop Way, which includes a core value system of being Authentic, Entrepreneurial, Service-minded, and Fun. The Wingstop Way extends to the brand’s environmental, social and governance platform as Wingstop seeks to provide value to all guests.

In 2023, Wingstop earned its “Best Places to Work” certification. The Company landed on Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Fastest-Growing Franchises” list and ranked #16 on “Franchise 500.” Wingstop was listed on Technomic’s “Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report,” QSR Magazine’s “2023 QSR 50” and Franchise Time’s “40 Smartest-Growing Franchises.”

For more information, visit www.wingstop.com or www.wingstop.com/own-a-wingstop and follow @Wingstop on X, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Learn more about Wingstop’s involvement in its local communities at www.wingstopcharities.org. Unless specifically noted otherwise, references to our website addresses, the website addresses of third parties or other references to online content in this press release do not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained on such website and should not be considered part of this release.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

To supplement our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, we use non-GAAP financial measures, including those indicated above. By providing non-GAAP financial measures, together with a reconciliation to the most comparable GAAP measure, we believe we are enhancing investors’ understanding of our business and our results of operations, as well as assisting investors in evaluating how well we are executing our strategic initiatives. These measures are not intended to be considered in isolation or as substitutes for, or superior to, financial measures prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP measures used in this press release may be different from the measures used by other companies. A reconciliation of each measure to the most directly comparable GAAP measure is available in this news release. In addition, the Current Report on Form 8-K furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) concurrent with the issuance of this press release includes a more detailed description of each of these non-GAAP financial measures, together with a discussion of the usefulness and purpose of such measures.

Forward-looking Statements

This news release includes statements of our expectations, intentions, plans and beliefs that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are intended to come within the safe harbor protection provided by those sections. These statements, which involve risks and uncertainties, relate to the discussion of our business strategies and our expectations concerning future operations, margins, profitability, trends, liquidity and capital resources and to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. These forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms “may,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “outlook,” “guidance,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “think,” “estimate,” “seek,” “predict,” “can,” “could,” “project,” “potential” or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, although not all forward-looking statements are accompanied by such terms. Examples of forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, our 2024 fiscal year outlook for domestic same store sales growth, global net new units, SG&A expense, stock-based compensation expense, and depreciation and amortization, as well as references to domestic AUV targets and our potential domestic restaurant footprint. These forward-looking statements are made based on expectations and beliefs concerning future events affecting us and are subject to uncertainties, risks, and factors relating to our operations and business environments, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control, that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those matters expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Please refer to the risk factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which can be found at the SEC’s website www.sec.gov. The discussion of these risks is specifically incorporated by reference into this news release.

When considering forward-looking statements in this news release or that we make in other reports or statements, you should keep in mind the cautionary statements in this news release and future reports we file with the SEC. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and we cannot predict when they may arise or how they may affect us. Any forward-looking statement in this news release speaks only as of the date on which it was made. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

Media Contact
Maddie Lupori
[email protected]

Investor Contact
Kristen Thomas
[email protected]

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)

June 29,
2024

December 30,
2023

(Unaudited)

Assets

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents

$ 96,749

$ 90,216

Restricted cash

11,444

11,444

Accounts receivable, net

16,059

12,408

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

6,768

4,948

Advertising fund assets, restricted

31,768

25,328

Total current assets

162,788

144,344

Property and equipment, net

107,738

91,292

Operating lease assets

55,379

19,092

Goodwill

68,733

67,708

Trademarks

32,700

32,700

Customer relationships, net

7,108

7,740

Other non-current assets

17,375

14,949

Total assets

$ 451,821

$ 377,825

Liabilities and stockholders’ deficit

Current liabilities

Accounts payable

$ 5,752

$ 4,725

Current portion of operating lease liabilities

4,061

2,380

Other current liabilities

42,955

38,571

Advertising fund liabilities

31,768

25,328

Total current liabilities

84,536

71,004

Long-term debt, net

713,258

712,327

Operating lease liabilities

53,943

17,807

Deferred revenues, net of current

32,928

30,145

Deferred income tax liabilities, net

4,626

3,721

Other non-current liabilities

71

187

Total liabilities

889,362

835,191

Commitments and contingencies

Stockholders’ deficit

Common stock, $0.01 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized;

29,304,401 and 29,337,920 shares issued and outstanding as of

June 29, 2024 and December 30, 2023, respectively

293

293

Additional paid-in-capital

1,869

2,676

Retained deficit

(439,326)

(459,994)

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

(377)

(341)

Total stockholders’ deficit

(437,541)

(457,366)

Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficit

$ 451,821

$ 377,825

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(amounts in thousands, except per share data)

Thirteen Weeks Ended

June 29,
2024

July 1,
2023

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

Revenue:

Royalty revenue, franchise fees and other

$ 71,160

$ 47,984

Advertising fees

54,654

36,596

Company-owned restaurant sales

29,885

22,593

Total revenue

155,699

107,173

Costs and expenses:

Cost of sales (1)

22,673

16,642

Advertising expenses

58,548

38,729

Selling, general and administrative

28,097

22,128

Depreciation and amortization

5,161

3,218

Total costs and expenses

114,479

80,717

Operating income

41,220

26,456

Interest expense, net

5,200

4,244

Other (income) expense

(471)

(46)

Income before income tax expense

36,491

22,258

Income tax expense

9,006

6,077

Net income

$ 27,485

$ 16,181

Earnings per share

Basic

$ 0.94

$ 0.54

Diluted

$ 0.93

$ 0.54

Weighted average shares outstanding

Basic

29,343

29,972

Diluted

29,457

30,049

Dividends per share

$ 0.22

$ 0.19

__________________________________

(1)

Cost of sales includes all operating expenses of company-owned restaurants, including advertising expenses, but excludes depreciation and amortization, which are presented separately.

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Unaudited Supplemental Information

Cost of Sales Margin Analysis

(amounts in thousands)

Thirteen Weeks Ended

June 29, 2024

July 1, 2023

In dollars

As a % of
company-owned
restaurant sales

In dollars

As a % of
company-owned
restaurant sales

Cost of sales:

Food, beverage and packaging costs

$ 10,695

35.8 %

$ 7,264

32.2 %

Labor costs

6,987

23.4 %

5,520

24.4 %

Other restaurant operating expenses

5,757

19.3 %

4,408

19.5 %

Vendor rebates

(766)

(2.6) %

(550)

(2.4) %

Total cost of sales

$ 22,673

75.9 %

$ 16,642

73.7 %

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Unaudited Supplemental Information

Restaurant Count

Thirteen Weeks Ended

June 29,
2024

July 1,
2023

Domestic Franchised Activity

Beginning of period

1,924

1,710

Openings

65

42

Closures

(1)

Acquired by Company

(1)

(2)

Restaurants end of period

1,988

1,749

Domestic Company-Owned Activity

Beginning of period

50

43

Openings

1

Closures

Acquired by Company

1

2

Restaurants end of period

52

45

Total Domestic Restaurants

2,040

1,794

International Franchised Activity(1)

Beginning of period

305

243

Openings

10

9

Closures

(3)

Restaurants end of period

312

252

Total System-wide Restaurants

2,352

2,046

______________________________

(1)

Includes U.S. Territories.

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Non-GAAP Financial Measures – EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

(Unaudited)

(amounts in thousands)

Thirteen Weeks Ended

June 29,
2024

July 1,
2023

Net income

$ 27,485

$ 16,181

Interest expense, net

5,200

4,244

Income tax expense

9,006

6,077

Depreciation and amortization

5,161

3,218

EBITDA

$ 46,852

$ 29,720

Additional adjustments:

Consulting fees (a)

1,084

Stock-based compensation expense (b)

4,926

3,546

Adjusted EBITDA

$ 51,778

$ 34,350

_______________________________

(a)

Represents non-recurring consulting fees that are not part of our ongoing operations and are incurred to execute discrete, project-based strategic initiatives, which are included in Selling, general and administrative on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The costs incurred in the thirteen weeks ended July 1, 2023 include consulting fees relating to a comprehensive review of our long-term growth strategy for our domestic business to explore potential future initiatives, which review was completed in fiscal year 2023. Given the magnitude and scope of this strategic review initiative that is not expected to recur in the foreseeable future, the Company considers the incremental consulting fees incurred with respect to the initiative not reflective of the ongoing costs to operate its business.

(b)

Includes non-cash, stock-based compensation, net of forfeitures.

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SOURCE Wingstop Restaurants Inc.

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