‘Crazy’ footage of crowd at 9am as US chain opens first store in Aus
Aussies have turned out in massive numbers as a popular American restaurant opened its doors for the first time in Sydney.
Food
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At 9am on a Saturday morning, the last thing you probably want to eat is fried chicken.
But a group of eager Aussies have shunned avocado on toast and have been waiting in line for over 2 hours in order to be among the first in the country to taste Wingstop.
The cult-US chain just opened its doors in Sydney, and boy have Aussies turned out in massive numbers to get their gobs around the brand’s infamous chicken wings.
Footage filmed in Kings Cross shows a long line of people snaking down Darlinghurst Road and around the corner onto Victoria Street.
“We’re so excited to be launching today, the turn out has been incredible,” Locky Paech, Wingstop Australia’s corporate operations director, told news.com.au.
“I walked all the way down the massive line chatting to people and they were all so hyped to get the first taste in Australia.
“Doors are officially open now, we’re cooking.”
Videos of the wild scenes outside the restaurant have sparked a lot of attention, with many expressing delight at the store’s opening while simultaneously being horrified by the size of the queue to get in.
“That crowd is crazy,” one remarked on TikTok.
“Waiting in line for 2 hours was so worth it,” another declared.
The swell of chicken-eaters comes just weeks after Wingstop announced it was opening its first restaurant Down Under, kicking off the American company’s expansion plan across Australia and New Zealand with 100 new restaurants.
“There’s never been a better time to bring Wingstop to Australia,” Steve Kehl, Country Manager at Wingstop Australia, told news.com.au last month.
“The response so far has been phenomenal, Aussies are already buzzing about what’s coming.
“We’ve tapped into a massive appetite for bold, flavour-first food and an experience that’s anything but ordinary.”
News of Wingstop’s Aussie launch spread like wildfire across social media, with some even flying in from other states, only to discover it wasn’t open yet.
Popular food vlogger Nectro Vlangos, best known for his reviews as @nectoriouspapi on social media, said Aussies “love US food chains” and would undoubtedly get behind Wingstop Down Under.
“Who doesn’t love a good chicken wing? The reason people rave about Wingstop is the different variety of flavours and seasonings available,” he told news.com.au.
“My favourite is the lemon chicken, but there are 9 different flavours. They also have great dipping options too.”
It’s not the first time Wingstop has tried to open in ANZ.
The chicken wing experts announced in August 2017 it would be opening its first franchise in Brisbane in “the first half of 2018” as part of an expansion that would see “110 locations open in Australia and New Zealand over 10 years”.
However, the project – a collaboration with John Bridgeman Limited – didn’t come to fruition.
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