Wingstop was acquired by which investment firm in 2010?

Wingstop was acquired by Roark Capital Group in 2010.

Roark Capital Group, an Atlanta-based private-equity firm specializing in franchised businesses, announced its acquisition of Wingstop on April 12, 2010. The deal followed Gemini Investors’ 2003 acquisition of the chain and helped place Wingstop under an owner focused on expanding franchise-based restaurant brands.

Wingstop was founded in 1994 in Garland, Texas, and began franchising in 1997. By the time of the Roark transaction, the chain had more than 440 restaurants and had generated over $300 million in system-wide revenue during 2009. Its management team, including CEO James Flynn, remained in place after the acquisition.

Roark’s ownership preceded Wingstop’s later return to the public markets. Wingstop completed its initial public offering in 2015 and began trading on NASDAQ under the ticker WING. That later IPO can create confusion, but it does not change the answer to the 2010 acquisition question: the buyer was Roark Capital Group.