Summer 2026 Restaurant Labor Law Updates
Stay compliant with key restaurant labor regulations in Summer 2026, including minimum wage increases, scheduling laws, and retirement requirements.
Jul 24, 2026
Stay compliant with key restaurant labor regulations in Summer 2026, including minimum wage increases, scheduling laws, and retirement requirements.
Jul 24, 2026
Discover how restaurant apps help owners manage labor, payroll, inventory, food safety, reporting, and back-office operations more efficiently every day.
Jul 24, 2026
Cicis Pizza’s systemwide sales have surged over 50%, fueled by digital innovation, modern operations, and a revamped franchise strategy. Learn what restaurant owners can take away from Cicis’ transformation.
Jul 24, 2026
Fogo de Chão has announced Daniel Duran as its new CFO, marking a strategic leadership transition designed to enhance global growth and financial innovation for the renowned restaurant brand.
Jul 24, 2026
Learn how to calculate, benchmark, track, and improve restaurant payroll percentage while balancing staffing costs, sales, service, and profitability effectively.
Jul 24, 2026
KFC Global has selected experienced leader Maria Cacciapuoti as its new Chief Operations Officer. Discover how her extensive expertise will help shape KFC’s global operations and franchise partnerships.
Jul 23, 2026
Portillo’s welcomes industry veteran Christopher Hansen as Executive Chef and Senior Director of Culinary Innovation to steer menu strategy and fuel national growth.
Jul 23, 2026
Ziggi’s Coffee welcomes Stacey Pool as Chief Growth Officer to spearhead national expansion and enhance franchise profitability as the brand celebrates a decade of franchising success.
Jul 23, 2026
Cinnabon grows 30% in U.S. units, adding 308 net stores as flexible formats expand into travel centers and convenience; 95 more openings forecast and 359 in pipeline.
Jul 22, 2026
QDOBA targets 2,000 restaurants in 10 years, powered by franchising and recent securitizations, aiming for $5B sales, $2.7M AUV, and 28% margins.
Jul 22, 2026
Wingstop advances toward a $3 million AUV via a digital flywheel, loyalty push, and scaled expansion.
Photo by Peter Pham
Wingstop has long walked a path where growth is as much philosophy as footprint. The year 2025 arrived not as a solitary peak but as a platform for expansion, with a record rhythm of openings and a clear path to scale. The aspirational target, a $3 million AUV, looms as a guiding star over a system of restaurants that reached 3,056 by year-end. This is not merely aspiration; it is a disciplined plan anchored in an asset-light model and a digital guest experience that travels across markets. To understand how this horizon is defined, we first sketch the terrain: the pace of expansion, the profile of growth, and the quiet power of technology. The narrative begins with the landscape that frames the AUV pursuit:
This momentum is not a rumor but a measured ascent. It rests on disciplined unit development, brand-building investments, and the growth of a digital guest experience that can scale across geographies. The stage is set for 2026, yet the real narrative begins with 2025: 493 net new openings and a growth rhythm that signals more to come. With Wingstop pursuing international expansion and partnerships that extend its asset-light model, every new location adds a chapter to the AUV story. The next pages explore how the engine is tuned to deliver the numbers investors watch.

493 net new openings in 2025, up 19.2% in unit growth for the year, frame a disciplined expansion cadence. The year concludes with a system-wide tally of 3,056 restaurants and $5.3 billion in system-wide sales, underscoring the scale that supports an aspirational AUV. Net income reaches $174.3 million and Adjusted EBITDA stands at $244.2 million, metrics that shine when linked to a technology-enabled guest journey. In remarks accompanying the results, Michael Skipworth, Wingstop’s chief executive, describes a team delivering substantial openings and market reach while deploying technology that supports a more personalized, convenient ordering experience for guests. This is the scaffolding for a future where scale and mix shifts move the AUV needle.