Wingstop to open at The Broadway, Bradford this autumn

Wingstop, which also has three restaurants in Leeds, will be located outside the shopping centre near The Light Cinema.

The fast-serve fried chicken chain is positioned as a premium alternative to KFC, and has attracted celebrity fans including the rapper Stormzy.

It will offer a wide variety of wing flavours plus platters, loaded fries and burgers.

Rapper Stormzy is among Wingstop’s celebrity fans (Image: Ian West/PA) It comes at a time of change for The Broadway, which is home to over 90 stores, with food outlets Burger King and Chilli Flames closing in recent months.

Upon opening Primark in the shopping centre on Tuesday, general manager Ian Ward teased the prospect of several new retailers before the year is out.

Wingstop's arrival is the first of "six to seven" set to be made by the end of 2024 - just in time for the City of Culture year.

Mr Ward is pleased to welcome the "incredibly popular eatery" to The Broadway. 

The Broadway shopping centre (Image: Newsquest) He said: “Wingstop is an incredibly popular eatery and we’re very proud to say it’s chosen The Broadway to open its first franchise to Bradford. 

“It’s expected to open pre-Christmas and also just before Bradford becomes the City of Culture in 2025 which will put a spotlight on the city and The Broadway as the leading destination to shop in the city.”

Wingstop was founded in 1994 by entrepreneur Antonio Swad, and has its headquarters in Dallas, Texas.

The chain now has more than 2,200 franchise locations worldwide, and claims it has served two million wings over the years.

Another Wingstop restaurant in the UK (Image: PA) In August, Wingstop said it would be opening more UK restaurants before the year is out.

The company will open outlets in places such as Crawley, Ealing, Manchester, Lakeside, Whitechapel and Walthamstow.

(Image: Wingstop PR)

Lemon Pepper Holdings, the master franchisee of Wingstop here in the UK, opened the first Wingstop outlet in the UK in 2018.

Since then it has grown to 50 restaurants, with the 50th location opening in Bolton last month.

Chris Sherriff, Co-CEO of Lemon Pepper Holdings, master franchisee, Wingstop UK, said: "We can't wait to open the doors to our brand-new site at The Broadway Bradford, giving shoppers a new go-to dining spot.

"This reflects our continued commitment to expand both nationwide and here in Yorkshire.

"Our popularity in Leeds - where we already have three restaurants - just shows that locals are hungry for our wings and flavours."