Wingstop Looks Into Raising Its Own Chickens

Wingstop, a quick-service chain specializing in chicken, is having such a hard time obtaining chicken that it’s thinking of raising its own.

The company’s chief financial officer, Alex Kaleida, said during an earnings call that Wingstop is looking into sourcing its chicken directly. “There’s...scenarios that could include an acquisition of a small poultry complex or building our own poultry complex,” he said in remarks quoted by CNN. Company executives estimate that one poultry complex could provide about 20% of Wingstop’s overall needs, making it easier to deal with price and supply volatility.

Chicken wings, and white meat in general, has been hard to come by for foodservice operators of all kinds. Wingstop, which has more than 1,700 outlets worldwide, has already tried to cope with the shortage by creating products from chicken thighs, which are easier to obtain.