Better Health for All

Wingstop's core products, such as chicken wings, tenders, and thighs, are generally high in fat, sodium, and calories.

For example, a large Garlic Parm Thigh Bites contains 1635 calories, 119g fat, 18g saturated fat, and 4860mg sodium. While the menu includes limited healthier options like plain wings, veggie sticks, and unsweetened tea, the overall portfolio is predominantly unhealthy. The company provides nutritional information for its menu items, allowing consumers to see calorie, fat, and sodium content. Wingstop emphasizes food safety through annual supplier audits, quarterly third-party QSC audits, food safety certifications, and training, but specific data on recalls or adverse events is not provided.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

Wingstop Inc. conducts annual supplier audits in accordance with Global Food Safety Initiatives and annual third-party audits to ensure animal welfare standards are adhered to.

All direct and extended suppliers acknowledge the Global Supplier Code of Conduct, which outlines standards for quality, health, safety, business integrity, labor standards, animal welfare, sustainability, land use, and management practices. The company reports 100% Supplier Code of Conduct Acknowledgement.

Honest & Fair Business

The company has an Ethics Reporting & Whistleblower Protection Policy, adopted on September 26, 2025, which includes a 24/7 Ethics Hotline for anonymous reporting and expressly forbids retaliation against good-faith reporters.

The Audit Committee ensures retention of complaint records for five years. The Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, effective August 25, 2022, also outlines reporting processes and an ethics hotline. However, complaints are forwarded to the Chairman of the Committee on at least a quarterly basis, and there is no public measurement of program effectiveness. Wingstop has not had any financial restatements in the past five years. The board has 50% diversity, but the articles do not provide a specific percentage of board members free from material conflicts of interest. The company has an Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy and conducts annual training, but the policy's strength and enforcement details, such as clear guidance on facilitation payments or customization for high-risk areas, are not fully detailed.

Kind to Animals

Wingstop conducts annual supplier audits, including third-party audits, to ensure animal welfare standards are adhered to, and reports 100% Supplier Code of Conduct Acknowledgement.

However, Wingstop partners with chicken suppliers who raise chickens in climate-controlled barns where they are cage-free, which is a positive, but the company's UK operations committed to the Better Chicken Commitment by 2026, which aims to reduce or eliminate some of the worst cruelties for chickens, implying current practices are not fully aligned with higher welfare standards. The company's domestic poultry suppliers follow the National Chicken Council (NCC) Animal Welfare Guidelines, which are described as covering every phase of a chicken’s life. Wingstop has an Animal Welfare & Testing Policy, and its Global Supplier Code of Conduct, rolled out in 2022, includes animal welfare as a key component.

No War, No Weapons

Wingstop Inc. operates in the restaurant industry, specializing in chicken wings. The provided articles contain no specific, concrete evidence regarding the company's involvement in arms manufacturing, military contracts, dual-use technologies, or any related activities.

Therefore, no KPIs under the 'No War, No Weapons' ethical value can be scored based on the available information.

Planet-Friendly Business

Wingstop's total Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions were 4.655 M tCO₂e in 2024, a 3.89% decline from 4.844 M tCO₂e in 2023.

Scope 3 emissions are not disclosed, though the company plans to measure and reduce them. The company has SBTi-aligned targets to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 42% by 2030 from a 2020 baseline, and to reduce absolute Scope 2 emissions by 63% by FY2035 from a FY2023 base year, while maintaining zero Scope 1 emissions through FY2035. The Global Support Center in Addison, Texas, is 100% powered by local wind energy, but this does not represent the entire company's operational energy. The company recycled approximately 22 million pounds of used cooking oil in 2024. Food waste has a 62% recycling rate (127 metric tons), cooking oil a 95% recycling rate (38,000 gallons), and packaging waste an 88% recycling rate (54 metric tons). Takeout containers are 98% recyclable, and sauce packets are 85% recyclable, leading to an annual waste reduction of 42 metric tons for containers and 12.5 metric tons for sauce packets. The company transitioned small dip cups, straws, and cutlery to polypropylene in 2023, and removed intentionally added PFAS from domestic packaging. Restaurant carryout bags are produced with at least 40% post-consumer recycled content. New uniforms are made from recycled plastic water bottles, with a crew member tee using 6 bottles, a chef shirt 10 bottles, and a manager polo 20 bottles, with over 2.3 million plastic water bottles used annually for uniforms.

Safe & Smart Tech

Wingstop has not reported any cybersecurity incidents that have materially affected the company as of February 4, 2026, covering the past three years.

The company makes strategic investments in security and maintains incident response procedures. However, older data security incidents occurred in 2012 and 2014 at four franchise locations, potentially capturing customer payment card information, with 20 cards involved in suspicious activity at one location. The company responded by replacing compromised POS systems and offering identity theft protection. Wingstop uses AI and machine learning for personalized marketing, dynamic pricing, and a Smart Kitchen system, which is live in 2,000 domestic units as of Q3 2025. Despite this, there is no publicly available AI ethics policy or retention/destruction schedules for voiceprints collected by its AI partner, ConverseNow. A lawsuit alleges unauthorized collection and use of voiceprints without customer consent, implying a lack of user control and transparency regarding AI use, and a failure to incorporate privacy into the design of the voice AI system. The lawsuit also alleges violations of Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). The company conducts annual cybersecurity training for employees, including phishing awareness campaigns, and maintains a vulnerability management and remediation program with regular third-party testing of key cybersecurity controls. Wingstop adheres to CCPA/CPRA and other state privacy laws.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Wingstop transitioned small dip cups, straws, and cutlery to polypropylene in 2023, a curbside recyclable substrate in most domestic municipalities, and offers “no drink” and “no dip” options to reduce single-use plastics.

A Wing Stop location in Weslaco had 18 violations during a December 16 inspection, including a dirty trash area and grease on the grass. The company aims to discover opportunities to minimize food waste by leveraging supply chain partnerships, but lacks specific, quantitative waste reduction targets with timelines. Its Global Supplier Code of Conduct includes "Sustainability/Land Use" as a key component. Wingstop recycles approximately 22 million pounds of used cooking oil in 2024 and states its simple menu leads to minimal restaurant food waste. All refrigeration is CFC and HCFC-free. Restaurant carryout bags are produced with at least 40% post-consumer recycled content, and all domestic packaging with intentionally added PFAS has been removed. Paper towels and napkins are made with recycled fibers. The transition of small dip cups, straws, and cutlery to polypropylene in 2023 makes these items curbside recyclable in most domestic municipalities.