Dallas-based mostly Wingstop launches cheeky aspect small business, Thighstop

Wingstop’s new facet organization is centered on a “whole chook system,” says Main Working Officer Mahesh Sadarangani, the place hen thighs are just as crucial as poultry’s much more well-liked section, the wing.

But can hen thighs be alluring? They consider so, and Thighstop is their respond to.

Thighstop sells bone-in and boneless hen thighs tossed in Wingstop’s 11 flavors. The company sells only a handful of other objects: fries, Cajun fried corn, rolls and house-built sauces like ranch and honey mustard. Rooster thighs are marketed exclusively on-line, then out there by using pickup at any of the 1,400 Wingstop retailers, or by DoorDash shipping.

When Thighstop is obviously a sibling enterprise to Wingstop, it is a individual enterprise, Sadarangani claims. Depend it as a single of the quite a few “invisible” kitchens that introduced through the coronavirus pandemic, as a way to dish out hot food, quickly.

“It’s a exciting, tongue-in-cheek way to introduce a brand in an spot the place there are a bunch of new virtual brand names remaining launched,” Sadarangani claims.

A “virtual brand name,” in this occasion, is a restaurant thought without having a focused kitchen area. All of Thighstop’s thighs are produced within Wingstop dining places — kitchens that were already there. Which implies creating Thighstop was relatively very low-value. It was also a great deal of fun, Sadarangani claims. (We requested if “Breaststop” was an possibility, and Sadarangani politely said the company thought of various names.)

“We built chicken the centre of the plate,” Sadarangani says of Wingstop. Now comes this new venture: “We’ll do almost everything we can do to make thighs the middle of the plate, not the base of the bucket.”

Wingstop execs analyzed Thighstop in 7 marketplaces in late 2020 right before making it offered nationwide on June 21. Dallasites obtained it early, on June 19.

Even with skyrocketing prices of chicken wings — which have triggered organizations like Pluckers to hike their prices — Sadarangani says Thighstop is not Wingstop’s work to overcome that difficulty. He claims rates are heading up because of labor shortages and simply because demand is outpacing source for restaurant customers and grocery retail outlet chains.

“We are not going through the troubles that you are listening to out there,” he says. “Despite rates staying superior, we are not having any influence.”

Thighstop foods are marketed in family packs and in unique combos. A 3-piece bone-in thigh combo, which is served with fries and just one sauce, charges $7.99. A 12-piece bone-in thigh pack, which feeds a few to 4 men and women, fees $24.99.

For additional foods news, abide by Sarah Blaskovich on Twitter at @sblaskovich.