Wingstop UK secures multi-million-pound debt facility to fuel expansion

The UK master franchisee of US chicken wing chain Wingstop has secured a multi-million-pound debt facility to fund further expansion.

Lemon Pepper Holdings has opened 11 Wingstop restaurants and nine delivery-only locations across the UK since 2018.

Paddy Bamford, chief financial officer of Wingstop UK, said: “It’s great to partner with a bank who were able to offer us a bespoke financing solution and could see the potential for the brand in the UK market.”

It is believed Lemon Pepper Holdings is one of the first new clients for Barclays Corporate in the restaurant and hospitality sector since the pandemic began.

Wingstop entered into a 100-restaurant agreement with Lemon Pepper Holdings in 2017 as the sole franchisee for the UK market. Its first UK restaurant opened on London's Cambridge Circus the following year.

The chicken chain was founded in Dallas, Texas in 1994 and now operates and franchises more than 1,500 locations worldwide.