Michael Skipworth

President, Chief Executive Officer & Director, Wingstop

Search every verified Michael Skipworth interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. In an April 2026 interview on Fox Business, Wingstop CEO Michael Skipworth described 2026 as a "transformational year" for the brand. He stated that the company is executing brand-specific strategies, including improving operations through "Wingstop Smart Kitchen" to attract higher-income guests less sensitive to gas prices, and launching a loyalty program. Skipworth said the loyalty program is being built from a consumer-driven approach using a database of over 60 million users, and will allow guests to earn points, with a focus on engagement, personalization, and unique experiences. Skipworth acknowledged that rising gas prices are putting pressure on the lower-income consumer that Wingstop over-indexes to, and noted a similar impact on business trends when gas prices reached these levels in 2022. He said that despite a decline in sales in the first quarter that the company is "not happy with," profitability within restaurants improved and margins strengthened. Skipworth added that Wingstop has a little over 3,000 restaurants and aspirations to grow to over 10,000, describing the company as a "unit growth story."