Wingstop is Coming to Australia, Here’s What You Should Order According to Rick Ross

Keen-eyed foodies on social media spotted the winged logo on the doors of a Kings Cross venue earlier in the month. Now, the cult-US restaurant chain Wingstop has confirmed the opening of its first store in Sydney, Australia. That’s right: Wingstop will open its first Australian location at 1/111 Darlinghurst Road, Potts Point, on Saturday, May 17th, 2025, at 11 a.m. AEST.

The brainchild of Antonio Swad and Bernadette Fiaschetti, the pair opened the first Wingstop in Texas back in 1994. Now owned by JPK Capital, the Wingstop franchise has nearly 1,500 locations around America, Canada, and several international outposts, including the UK, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates. Sydney is the first in a planned 100+ Wingstop restaurant openings for the region. Here’s everything you need to know!

Celebrity Endorsements

The famous wings have become a favourite on social media, but also in the eyes of several celebrities who have touted the greatness of Wingstop to their audiences and even become investors. Former Dallas Cowboys great Troy Aikman became an investor in the company in its early days and even sat on the board of directors. He sold his shares on June 12, 2015, after they rose 61 per cent on their first day of trading, and he pocketed at least $6 million in the process.

No voice, however, has been louder than that of nine-time Grammy-nominated artist Rick Ross, who has a love affair with the Wingstop Lemon Pepper wings.

Made from a secret mix of ingredients, these wings are so good that the rapper, affectionately called the Boss, felt the need to start franchising Wingstop locations around Memphis. He opened his first of several Wingstop restaurants in August 2011, at 7706 Winchester Road and hasn’t looked back. “After tasting Wingstop’s signature Lemon Pepper-flavoured wings in Miami, I knew this was a franchise I wanted to add to my investments,” explained Rick Ross to All Hip Hop at the time.

“Rick Ross will be a great addition to the Wingstop family,” said former CEO Jim Flynn. “He’s a talented artist and brings a huge fan base to the concept. We look forward to growing the brand with him in Memphis.”

Today, Ross is the proud owner of an estimated 30 Wingstop locations, and he’s even gifted one of his Wingstop franchises to his son on his 16th birthday. He also owns a handful of Checkers and Rally’s locations in his old neighbourhood of Carol City, Florida.

Hilariously, when CNN’s Don Lemon was fired in April 2023, Rick Ross offered him a job and was quoted as saying, “For some reason, I believe you know what you doing with the lemon pepper wings. So man, just send over your résumé.” Don Lemon didn’t accept the offer, and now works as a reporter on his self-titled show “The Don Lemon Show.”

Wingstop Opens in Sydney, Australia

Wingstop grand opening celebrations will commence at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 17th, at the new Potts Point location. Here, the brand will welcome fans with all 12 flavours, including Lemon Pepper, Hickory Smoked BBQ, Hawaiian, Garlic Parmesan, Louisiana Rub, Spicy Korean Q, Mild, Hot Honey Rub, Cajun, OG and Mango Habanero, with Atomic (the hottest). The first 500 guests through the doors will receive 5 free wings from Wingstop’s exclusive menu.

Interestingly, the Sydney opening of Wingstop is not the first time the chain has attempted to open in Australia. Some keen foodies might remember that the franchise announced that it would be opening its first franchise in Brisbane back in 2018. However, the project, which was planned to open “110 locations open in Australia and New Zealand over 10 years,” never eventuated as the collaboration with John Bridgeman Limited broke down.

Sydneysiders won’t have to wait too long for the first Wingstop location in Australia to open. “This is more than just a restaurant opening — it’s satisfying the flavour demands of Australians,” said a Wingstop representative. “We’ve heard your calls, and we’re answering with the opening of this restaurant in Sydney. Wingstop has big plans for Australia, and we’re excited to see how fans embrace our flavour.”