Form 8-K

8-K — Wingstop Inc.

Accession: 0001636222-26-000015

Filed: 2026-04-29

Period: 2026-04-28

CIK: 0001636222

SIC: 5812 (RETAIL-EATING PLACES)

Item: Results of Operations and Financial Condition

Item: Other Events

Item: Financial Statements and Exhibits

Documents

8-K — wing-20260428.htm (Primary)

EX-99.1 (a991wingearningsrelease.htm)

GRAPHIC — LOGO (winglogo2018a04a.jpg)

XML — IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT (R1.htm)

8-K

8-K (Primary)

Filename: wing-20260428.htm · Sequence: 1

wing-20260428

0001636222FALSE00016362222026-04-282026-04-28

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 28, 2026

WINGSTOP INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware 001-37425 47-3494862

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) Commission File Number (IRS Employer Identification No.)

2801 N Central Expressway

Suite 1600

Dallas, Texas

75204

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

(972) 686-6500

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

☐ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share WING NASDAQ Global Select Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 2.02. Results of Operations and Financial Condition

The following information is furnished pursuant to Item 2.02, “Results of Operations and Financial Condition.” Consequently, it shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall such information be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

On April 29, 2026, Wingstop Inc. (the “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) issued a press release reporting the Company’s financial results for its fiscal First quarter ended March 28, 2026. A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The press release uses the U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) measures of net income and earnings per diluted share and the following non-GAAP financial measures: EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted net income and Adjusted earnings per diluted share. A discussion of these non-GAAP financial measures, including a discussion of the usefulness and purpose of each measure, is included below.

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are supplemental measures of our performance that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, GAAP. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not measurements of our financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as alternatives to net income or any other performance measure derived in accordance with GAAP, or as alternatives to cash flows from operating activities as a measure of our liquidity.

We define “EBITDA” as net income before interest expense, net, income tax expense (benefit), and depreciation and amortization. We define “Adjusted EBITDA” as 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, restructuring charges, and stock-based compensation expense. We present EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA because we consider them to be important supplemental measures of our performance and believe they are frequently used by securities analysts, investors, and other interested parties in the evaluation of companies in our industry. Management believes that investors’ understanding of our performance is enhanced by including these non-GAAP financial measures as a reasonable basis for comparing our ongoing results of operations. Many investors are interested in understanding the performance of our business by comparing our results from ongoing operations on a period-over-period basis and would ordinarily add back non-cash expenses such as depreciation and amortization, as well as items that are not part of normal day-to-day operations of our business.

Management uses EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:

•as a measurement of operating performance because we believe they assist management in comparing the operating performance of our restaurants on a consistent basis, as they remove the impact of items not directly resulting from our core operations;

•for planning purposes, including the preparation of our internal annual operating budget and financial projections;

•to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of our operational strategies;

•to evaluate our capacity to fund capital expenditures and expand our business; and

•to calculate incentive compensation payments for our employees, including assessing performance under our annual incentive compensation plan.

By providing these 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. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation, or as an alternative to, or a substitute for, net income or other financial statement data presented in our consolidated financial statements as indicators of financial performance. Some of the limitations include, but are not limited to, the following:

•such measures do not reflect our cash expenditures, or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments;

•such measures do not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs;

•such measures do not reflect the interest expense, or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payments, on our debt;

•such measures do not reflect our tax expense or the cash requirements to pay our taxes;

•although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced in the future and such measures do not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements; and

•other companies in our industry may calculate such measures differently than we do, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures.

Due to these and other limitations, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as measures of discretionary cash available to us to invest in the growth of our business. We compensate for these limitations by relying primarily on our GAAP results and using these non-GAAP measures only as performance measures and supplementally. As noted in the press release attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1, Adjusted EBITDA includes adjustments 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. We believe these adjustments are appropriate because the amounts recognized can vary significantly from period-to-period, do not directly relate to the ongoing operations of our restaurants, and complicate comparisons of our internal operating results and operating results of other restaurant companies over time.

Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Earnings Per Diluted Share. Adjusted net income represents 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, restructuring charges, and related tax adjustments that management believes are not indicative of the Company’s core operating results or business outlook over the long-term. Adjusted earnings per diluted share is defined as adjusted net income divided by weighted average diluted share count. Adjusted net income and adjusted earnings per diluted share are supplemental measures of operating performance that do not represent and should not be considered alternatives to net income and earnings per diluted share, as determined by GAAP. These measures have not been prepared in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Act. Management believes adjusted net income and adjusted earnings per diluted share supplement GAAP measures and enable management to more effectively evaluate the Company’s performance period-over-period and relative to competitors.

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

Item 8.01. Other Events

Quarterly Dividend

On April 28, 2026, the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.30 per share of common stock. The dividend is payable on June 5, 2026 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 15, 2026. The declaration of any future dividends is subject to the Board’s discretion.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits

99.1

Press release, dated April 29, 2026 (furnished pursuant to Item 2.02)

104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL Document)

Signatures

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

Wingstop Inc.

Date: April 29, 2026 By: /s/ Alex R. Kaleida

Chief Financial Officer

(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

EX-99.1

Filename: a991wingearningsrelease.htm · Sequence: 2

Document

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wingstop Inc. Reports Fiscal First Quarter Financial Results

97 Net New Openings in First Quarter, 17% Unit Growth

Dallas, April 29, 2026 - (PRNewswire) - Wingstop Inc. (NASDAQ: WING) today announced financial results for the fiscal first quarter ended March 28, 2026.

“Despite the decline in same store sales, we delivered system-wide sales growth and double-digit Adjusted EBITDA growth in the quarter supported by 17% unit growth. Our results demonstrate the resiliency of our asset-light, highly franchised model.” said Michael Skipworth, President and Chief Executive Officer. “Our focus in the first quarter centered upon enhancing unit economics for our brand partners and advancing our strategies that we believe will position us to return to same store sales growth. We believe 2026 is going to be a transformational year for Wingstop and remain extremely confident in the long-term opportunity in front of us as we continue to scale into a top 10 global restaurant brand.”

Q1 2026 Highlights

▪System-wide sales of $1.4 billion increased 5.9% vs. Q1 2025

▪97 net new openings

▪Domestic restaurant AUV of $2.0 million

▪Domestic same store sales decreased 8.7% vs. Q1 2025

▪Digital sales represented 72.5% of system-wide sales

▪Total revenue of $183.7 million, an increase of 7.4%, vs. Q1 2025

▪Net income of $29.9 million, or $1.08 per diluted share

▪Adjusted net income1 of $32.5 million and adjusted earnings per diluted share1 of $1.18

▪Adjusted EBITDA1, increased 9.9% vs. Q1 2025 to $65.4 million

1See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures“ and the reconciliation tables accompanying this release for a discussion and reconciliation of certain non-GAAP financial measures included in this release.

Key Operating Metrics

Thirteen Weeks Ended

March 28, 2026 March 29, 2025

Number of system-wide restaurants open at end of period 3,153 2,689

Number of domestic franchise restaurants open at end of period 2,596 2,250

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

500 388

System-wide sales (in millions) $ 1,377 $ 1,300

Domestic AUV (in thousands) $ 1,956 $ 2,135

Domestic same store sales growth (8.7) % 0.5 %

Company-owned domestic same store sales growth (2.2) % 1.4 %

Net income (in thousands) $ 29,883 $ 92,265

Adjusted net income (in thousands) $ 32,469 $ 28,316

Adjusted EBITDA (in thousands) $ 65,403 $ 59,497

(1) Including U.S. territories.

Q1 2026 Financial Results

Total revenue for the first quarter 2026 increased to $183.7 million from $171.1 million in the prior first quarter. Royalty revenue, franchise fees and other increased $8.7 million, of which $12.2 million was due to net new franchise development and $3.4 million related to an increase in vendor rebates, partially offset by a decrease of $5.9 million due to an 8.7% decline in domestic same store sales contributed by lower transaction volumes, reflecting continued pressure on consumer spending. Advertising fees increased $1.0 million due to a 5.9% increase in system-wide sales in the first quarter 2026. Company-owned restaurant sales increased $2.9 million due to the six additional corporate stores opened or acquired since the prior year period.

Cost of sales was $24.7 million compared to $22.8 million in the prior first quarter. As a percentage of company-owned restaurant sales, cost of sales decreased to 74.9% from 76.0% in the prior first quarter. The decrease as a percentage of company-owned restaurant sales was primarily driven by a decline in food, beverage and packaging costs, reflecting a decrease in the cost of bone-in chicken wings as compared to the prior first quarter.

Selling, general & administrative (“SG&A”) expense increased $3.0 million to $34.4 million from $31.4 million in the prior first quarter. The increase in SG&A expense was primarily driven by $2.4 million in restructuring charges related to the corporate realignment announced during the fiscal first quarter 2026, partially offset by lower system implementation costs and other expenses compared to the prior year period.

The prior fiscal first quarter included investment income of $93.8 million in the prior fiscal first quarter. This was related to the $97.2 million gain on the sale of our non-controlling interest in Lemon Pepper Holdings, Ltd. (“LPH”), Wingstop’s United Kingdom master franchisee, recognized in the prior year period.

Income tax expense was $10.7 million, yielding an effective tax rate of 26.3%, comparable to 25.1% in the prior fiscal first quarter. The decrease in total tax expense is primarily due to the absence of the prior year taxable gain on the sale of our non-controlling interest in LPH.

Financial Outlook

The Company’s outlook is dependent on the macro-environment which is inherently difficult to predict given current high levels of uncertainty. The Company is providing updated guidance for 2026:

•Low-single digit decline in domestic same store sales growth;

•SG&A of between $146 - $149 million, which includes $3 million of restructuring charges related to corporate realignment;

•Stock-based compensation expense of approximately $28 million.

Additionally, the Company reiterates guidance for 2026:

•Global unit growth rate of 15% to 16%;

•Interest expense, net of approximately $43 million; and

•Depreciation and amortization of approximately $30 million.

Restaurant Development

As of March 28, 2026, there were 3,153 Wingstop restaurants system-wide. This included 2,653 restaurants in the United States, of which 2,596 were franchised restaurants and 57 were company-owned, and 500 franchised restaurants were in international markets, including U.S. territories. During the first quarter 2026, there were 97 net system-wide Wingstop restaurant openings.

Quarterly Dividend

In recognition of our strong cash flow generation and our commitment to returning value to stockholders, on April 28, 2026, our board of directors authorized and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.30 per share of common stock, resulting in a total dividend of approximately $8.2 million. This dividend will be paid on June 5, 2026 to stockholders of record as of May 15, 2026.

Share Repurchase

As previously announced, during the fiscal first quarter of 2026, our board of directors authorized the purchase of up to an additional $300.0 million of our outstanding shares of common stock under our existing share repurchase program.

We repurchased and retired 374,324 shares of our common stock at an average price of $208.08 per share during the first quarter of 2026. As of March 28, 2026, $313.4 million remained available under the share repurchase program previously approved by our board of directors.

Since the inception of our share repurchase program in August 2023, we have repurchased and retired 2,959,473 shares of our common stock at an average price of $252.25 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, certain restructuring charges, 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, certain restructuring charges, 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

We will host a conference call today to discuss the first fiscal quarter 2026 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 1-855-669-9658 or 1-412-317-0088 (international), then entering the replay code 4161830. The replay will be available through Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

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 3,000 restaurants worldwide, with approximately 98% of the total restaurant count owned by brand partners. Generating over $5 billion in system-wide sales in fiscal 2025, Wingstop offers made-to-order, always fresh classic and boneless wings, tenders, and chicken sandwiches in 12 bold, distinctive flavors, alongside signature sides and iconic housemade ranch and bleu cheese dips.

Dedicated to Serving the World Flavor, Wingstop is the Official Chicken Partner of the NBA with a vision to become a Top 10 Global Restaurant Brand.

Learn more at wingstop.com or follow @Wingstop on X, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.

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 2026 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

Kyra Harbert

Media@wingstop.com

Investor Contact

Sarah Niehaus

IR@wingstop.com

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Consolidated Balance Sheets

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

March 28,

2026 December 27,

2025

Assets

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents $ 128,816 $ 196,572

Restricted cash 25,994 25,994

Accounts receivable, net 23,525 20,823

Prepaid expenses and other current assets 7,689 7,956

Advertising fund assets, restricted 30,921 16,143

Total current assets 216,945 267,488

Property and equipment, net 138,427 130,581

Operating lease assets 47,909 48,637

Goodwill 83,875 83,875

Trademarks 32,700 32,700

Investments 88,358 87,164

Other non-current assets, net 40,672 42,964

Total assets $ 648,886 $ 693,409

Liabilities and stockholders' deficit

Current liabilities

Accounts payable $ 9,362 $ 12,846

Current portion of operating lease liabilities 3,401 3,232

Other current liabilities 53,056 49,744

Advertising fund liabilities 30,921 16,143

Total current liabilities 96,740 81,965

Long-term debt, net 1,209,837 1,209,094

Operating lease liabilities 57,177 58,080

Deferred revenues, net of current 50,876 47,721

Deferred income tax liabilities, net 33,279 33,142

Other non-current liabilities 149 169

Total liabilities 1,448,058 1,430,171

Commitments and contingencies

Stockholders' deficit

Common stock, $0.01 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; 27,232,479 and 27,540,619 shares issued and outstanding as of March 28, 2026 and December 27, 2025, respectively

272 275

Additional paid-in-capital 213 1,529

Retained deficit (804,285) (744,915)

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) 4,628 6,349

Total stockholders' deficit (799,172) (736,762)

Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit $ 648,886 $ 693,409

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(amounts in thousands, except per share data)

Thirteen Weeks Ended

March 28,

2026 March 29,

2025

(Unaudited) (Unaudited)

Revenue:

Royalty revenue, franchise fees and other $ 87,470 $ 78,775

Advertising fees 63,269 62,272

Company-owned restaurant sales 32,986 30,047

Total revenue 183,725 171,094

Costs and expenses:

Cost of sales (1)

24,716 22,835

Advertising expenses 67,311 65,795

Selling, general and administrative 34,449 31,440

Depreciation and amortization 6,841 6,228

Loss on disposal of assets — 6,535

Total costs and expenses 133,317 132,833

Operating income 50,408 38,261

Interest expense, net 9,764 8,910

Investment (income) expense 72 (93,839)

Income before income tax expense 40,572 123,190

Income tax expense 10,689 30,925

Net income $ 29,883 $ 92,265

Earnings per share

Basic $ 1.09 $ 3.25

Diluted $ 1.08 $ 3.24

Weighted average shares outstanding

Basic 27,481 28,385

Diluted 27,593 28,509

Dividends per share $ 0.30 $ 0.27

(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 28, 2026 March 29, 2025

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 $ 11,794 35.8 % $ 11,241 37.4 %

Labor costs 7,889 23.9 % 7,153 23.8 %

Other restaurant operating expenses 5,869 17.8 % 5,191 17.3 %

Vendor rebates (836) (2.5) % (750) (2.5) %

Total cost of sales $ 24,716 74.9 % $ 22,835 76.0 %

WINGSTOP INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Unaudited Supplemental Information

Restaurant Count

Thirteen Weeks Ended

March 28,

2026 March 29,

2025

Domestic Franchised Activity

Beginning of period 2,529 2,154

Openings 67 96

Closures — —

Restaurants end of period 2,596 2,250

Domestic Company-Owned Activity

Beginning of period 57 50

Openings — 1

Closures — —

Restaurants end of period 57 51

Total Domestic Restaurants 2,653 2,301

International Franchised Activity(1)

Beginning of period 470 359

Openings 33 30

Closures (3) (1)

Restaurants end of period 500 388

Total System-wide Restaurants 3,153 2,689

(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 28,

2026 March 29,

2025

Net income $ 29,883 $ 92,265

Interest expense, net 9,764 8,910

Income tax expense 10,689 30,925

Depreciation and amortization 6,841 6,228

EBITDA $ 57,177 $ 138,328

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)

546 1,311

Amortization of capitalized system implementation costs (e)

467 —

Restructuring charges (f)

2,390 —

Stock-based compensation expense (g)

4,823 5,312

Adjusted EBITDA $ 65,403 $ 59,497

(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, human capital management, and global development technology, which are included in Selling, general and administrative on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

(e) Represents amortization associated with capitalized cloud computing costs related to our system implementation, which are included in Selling, general and administrative on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

(f) Represents certain restructuring charges related to corporate realignment announced on January 13, 2026.

(g) 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 28,

2026 March 29,

2025

Numerator:

Net income $ 29,883 $ 92,265

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)

546 1,311

Amortization of capitalized system implementation costs (e)

467 —

Restructuring charges (f)

2,390 —

Tax effect of adjustments (g)

(817) 20,194

Adjusted net income $ 32,469 $ 28,316

Denominator:

Weighted-average shares outstanding - diluted 27,593 28,509

Adjusted earnings per diluted share $ 1.18 $ 0.99

(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, the Company’s United Kingdom master franchisee, during the 2025 fiscal year; 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.

(f) Represents certain restructuring charges related to corporate realignment announced on January 13, 2026.

(g) 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 28, 2026, which includes provisions for U.S. federal income taxes, and assumes the respective statutory rates for applicable state and local jurisdictions.

GRAPHIC — LOGO

GRAPHIC

Filename: winglogo2018a04a.jpg · Sequence: 6

Binary file (36956 bytes)

Download winglogo2018a04a.jpg

XML — IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT

XML

Filename: R1.htm · Sequence: 8

v3.26.1

Document and Entity Information

Apr. 28, 2026

Cover [Abstract]

Document Type

8-K

Document Period End Date

Apr. 28, 2026

Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code

Entity File Number

001-37425

Entity Tax Identification Number

47-3494862

Entity Address, Address Line One

2801 N Central Expressway

Entity Address, Address Line Two

Suite 1600

Entity Address, City or Town

Dallas

Entity Address, State or Province

Entity Address, Postal Zip Code

75204

Local Phone Number

686-6500

City Area Code

972

Written Communications

false

Soliciting Material

false

Pre-commencement Tender Offer

false

Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer

false

Title of 12(b) Security

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

Trading Symbol

WING

Security Exchange Name

NASDAQ

Entity Emerging Growth Company

false

Central Index Key

0001636222

Amendment Flag

false

Registrant Name

WINGSTOP INC.

- Definition

Boolean flag that is true when the XBRL content amends previously-filed or accepted submission.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:

dei_AmendmentFlag

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

xbrli:booleanItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

Area code of city

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:

dei_CityAreaCode

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

xbrli:normalizedStringItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

Cover page.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:

dei_CoverAbstract

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

xbrli:stringItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

For the EDGAR submission types of Form 8-K: the date of the report, the date of the earliest event reported; for the EDGAR submission types of Form N-1A: the filing date; for all other submission types: the end of the reporting or transition period. The format of the date is YYYY-MM-DD.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:

dei_DocumentPeriodEndDate

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

xbrli:dateItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

The type of document being provided (such as 10-K, 10-Q, 485BPOS, etc). The document type is limited to the same value as the supporting SEC submission type, or the word 'Other'.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:

dei_DocumentType

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

dei:submissionTypeItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

Address Line 1 such as Attn, Building Name, Street Name

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:

dei_EntityAddressAddressLine1

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

xbrli:normalizedStringItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

Address Line 2 such as Street or Suite number

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:

dei_EntityAddressAddressLine2

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

xbrli:normalizedStringItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

Name of the City or Town

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:

dei_EntityAddressCityOrTown

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

xbrli:normalizedStringItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

Code for the postal or zip code

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:

dei_EntityAddressPostalZipCode

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

xbrli:normalizedStringItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

Name of the state or province.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:

dei_EntityAddressStateOrProvince

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

dei:stateOrProvinceItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

A unique 10-digit SEC-issued value to identify entities that have filed disclosures with the SEC. It is commonly abbreviated as CIK.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Exchange Act

-Number 240

-Section 12

-Subsection b-2

+ Details

Name:

dei_EntityCentralIndexKey

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

dei:centralIndexKeyItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

Indicate if registrant meets the emerging growth company criteria.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Exchange Act

-Number 240

-Section 12

-Subsection b-2

+ Details

Name:

dei_EntityEmergingGrowthCompany

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

xbrli:booleanItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

Commission file number. The field allows up to 17 characters. The prefix may contain 1-3 digits, the sequence number may contain 1-8 digits, the optional suffix may contain 1-4 characters, and the fields are separated with a hyphen.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:

dei_EntityFileNumber

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

dei:fileNumberItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

Two-character EDGAR code representing the state or country of incorporation.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:

dei_EntityIncorporationStateCountryCode

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

dei:edgarStateCountryItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

The exact name of the entity filing the report as specified in its charter, which is required by forms filed with the SEC.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Exchange Act

-Number 240

-Section 12

-Subsection b-2

+ Details

Name:

dei_EntityRegistrantName

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

xbrli:normalizedStringItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

The Tax Identification Number (TIN), also known as an Employer Identification Number (EIN), is a unique 9-digit value assigned by the IRS.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Exchange Act

-Number 240

-Section 12

-Subsection b-2

+ Details

Name:

dei_EntityTaxIdentificationNumber

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

dei:employerIdItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

Local phone number for entity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:

dei_LocalPhoneNumber

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

xbrli:normalizedStringItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

Boolean flag that is true when the Form 8-K filing is intended to satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant as pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Exchange Act

-Number 240

-Section 13e

-Subsection 4c

+ Details

Name:

dei_PreCommencementIssuerTenderOffer

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

xbrli:booleanItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

Boolean flag that is true when the Form 8-K filing is intended to satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant as pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Exchange Act

-Number 240

-Section 14d

-Subsection 2b

+ Details

Name:

dei_PreCommencementTenderOffer

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

xbrli:booleanItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

Title of a 12(b) registered security.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Exchange Act

-Number 240

-Section 12

-Subsection b

+ Details

Name:

dei_Security12bTitle

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

dei:securityTitleItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

Name of the Exchange on which a security is registered.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Exchange Act

-Number 240

-Section 12

-Subsection d1-1

+ Details

Name:

dei_SecurityExchangeName

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

dei:edgarExchangeCodeItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

Boolean flag that is true when the Form 8-K filing is intended to satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant as soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Exchange Act

-Number 240

-Section 14a

-Subsection 12

+ Details

Name:

dei_SolicitingMaterial

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

xbrli:booleanItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

Trading symbol of an instrument as listed on an exchange.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:

dei_TradingSymbol

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

dei:tradingSymbolItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration

- Definition

Boolean flag that is true when the Form 8-K filing is intended to satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant as written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Securities Act

-Number 230

-Section 425

+ Details

Name:

dei_WrittenCommunications

Namespace Prefix:

dei_

Data Type:

xbrli:booleanItemType

Balance Type:

Period Type:

duration