Wingstop won the Stevie® Award for Best Overall Company with more than 2,500 employees, as well as Best TV or Cinema Ad Campaign, in The 2008 American Business Awards.

What makes a company great?  According to Jim Flynn, CEO of Richardson, Texas-based Wingstop Restaurants, Inc., it means doing one thing better than anyone else.  At Wingstop’s aviation-themed restaurant chain that means chicken wings.

Wingstop was the first to move the chicken wing from appetizer to center-of-the-plate. In the lifespan of most restaurant concepts, there is a move to branch
out from the original focus in hopes of attracting a larger audience. Wingstop has never veered from its mission of doing one thing, chicken wings, better than the rest, and last year Wingstop surpassed the billion-wings-served milestone.

In an economic environment where companies are announcing disappointing financials everyday, Wingstop continues to announce very impressive sales and growth figures.  The chicken-wing chain’s comp store sales grew over fifteen percent in 2007, and it had achieved twenty-one consecutive quarterly comp store sales increases by September 2008.

Wingstop’s system-wide sales increased by 35 percent to reach $206.6 million in 2007, and the company’s new store openings grew by 18.5 percent from 2006 to 2007, opening 281 units by year end 2006 and 333 units by year end 2007.  The rapidly growing chain expects to open an additional 80 stores in 2008.

Since 1994, the chain has sauced and tossed hot, fresh, made-to-order wings and sold them to hungry customers in groups of ten, twenty, and even up to one-hundred. Today, Wingstop serves chicken wings to customers spanning 32 states.

That At-Home Feeling
Have you ever noticed how the trendy bars and restaurants come and go, but the
neighborhood diner or pub stays forever?  Wingstop has a homey, unassuming appearance that makes it a mainstay in the communities it enters. The prices are low and the food is always prepared fresh-to-order and served hot.  It is this value combined with the casual, at-home feeling that keeps Wingstop’s loyal patrons coming back.

Approximately 75 percent of Wingstop’s business is takeout. In a shaky economy, the option to add your own sides or drinks at home is appealing.

Rave Reviews
Since its inception in July of 1994, Wingstop has amassed many accolades and awards for its food, concept, and management. In January 2008, Wingstop was listed 125th on the Entrepreneur Franchise500 list. In 2007, Wingstop received a Stevie Award for Most Innovative Company. In 2006, Wingstop CEO, James Flynn received the Ernst & Young’s 2006 Southwest Area Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Wingstop was named “Wing King” at the National Buffalo Wing Festival.

The company continues to accumulate “Best of” awards in the cities in which it is located.

Flynn credits Wingstop's success to the dedication of the brand partners who diligently work to provide customers with the fresh wings flavored with one of Wingstop's nine proprietary flavors, and to outstanding hospitality. Says Flynn: “Our franchisees will always tell you that the most satisfying part of running their business is seeing the anticipation in the customers’ eyes as they order their Wingstop favorites.”

The chain features nine wing flavors: Original Hot, Cajun, Atomic, Mild, Teriyaki, Lemon Pepper, Hawaiian, Garlic Parmesan, and Hickory Smoked BBQ. The wings are always made-to-order and served  steaming hot. Customers can also choose from homemade side dishes including  fresh-cut seasoned fries, bourbon baked beans, pearl potato salad, creamy coleslaw, vegetable sticks, rolls, and assorted dipping sauces.

To view what the customers really think of this franchise, check out eOpinions for some unbiased views by real people.

About Jim Flynn
Jim Flynn, CEO of Wingstop Restaurants, inc., is a man of high standards and expectations, stemming from a life built on a solid foundation of ethics, discipline, and hard work. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy and Harvard Business School, Jim starts each morning with a workout and then kicks off his work day at 5:30 a.m., alone in Wingstop’s corporate office, hoping to complete the tasks he knows would otherwise be sidelined during the hustle of a regular work day. In just over four years at the helm, Jim has raised Wingstop from 90 restaurants to more than 600 that are either open or under development, and system-wide sales have jumped from $35 million to $206 million.

Prior to Wingstop, Jim helped large companies such as Popeyes Famous Fried
Chicken experience tremendous turnarounds.  In just 12 months as president, he took Popeyes from a record loss of $6 million to a record gain of $6 million—a $12 million turnaround in one year.  In addition, thirteen years of Jim’s career was spent helping multiple early-stage, start-up retail companies grow and become profitable as their acting CEO.  The moral fiber and leadership skills needed to command such results were honed early for Jim.  His time served in the Navy in nuclear-powered Polaris submarines, where his decisions affected not only his life, but those of hundreds of shipmates, is evident daily in Jim’s guidance of Wingstop Restaurants.

About Wingstop
Wingstop offers restaurants with a nostalgic, aviation-themed atmosphere where the sole focus is on chicken wings.  Wingstop has more than 600 restaurants either open or under development in 32 states, and consistently tops industry growth rankings. Troy Aikman, three-time Super Bowl champion and Hall of Fame quarterback, has served as the chain’s national spokesman since 2003. Aikman extended his contract in 2006 for three years as Wingstop has posted 21 consecutive quarters of comp store sales increases since the partnership. For further information visit www.wingstop.com

by Pamela Weinsaft, Managing Editor, The Glass Hammer

The Glass Hammer won the Stevie Award for Blog of the Year in the 2008 Stevie Awards for Women in Business, presented in New York this month.  Following is a recent article from their site.

Getting a plum expat assignment overseas is a sure sign you’re on your way to making it. Your company will likely give you an orientation to that new country—the “do’s” and “don’ts”—to make sure that you fit right into your new, albeit temporary, home. You immerse yourself in a different culture and possibly different language, noting all those things that are different and surprising things that are the same. But what happens when it comes time to return home?

The transition may not be as smooth as one would expect. So says Irenee French, an Irish woman from London who just returned to the United Kingdom after 17 years of living and working in Northern California.  When she spoke with The Glass Hammer recently, Ms. French quickly listed many things that have challenged her upon her return, including the relative lack of space in both her apartment and the overcrowded Tube line that serves her neighborhood.
 
But more than the superficial differences, it was the cultural differences that threw her for a loop.  She was shocked at the change in work culture in the years she’s been away, and in particular at the brashness that seems to have permeated the office. “I can’t believe what these girls in suits are coming out with: vulgarity, baseness.  They’re cursing up a storm and talking in detail about their sex lives.  That’s something they definitely would have been written up for in California.”

Samantha Anderson, a New York professional who spent 7 years working for a Japanese company in Tokyo, spoke to us of her difficulty reintegrating into the U.S. culture after having successfully integrated into the Japanese culture.  “There is a pride in one’s work in Japan–a drive to do a job, whether it’s bagging groceries or making a department-wide presentation, to the best of one’s ability—which is often lacking here.  It can be frustrating here to deal with the apathy–and, dare I say it, incompetence–at the grocery store, the post office, and at work.” According to Anderson, other things from her life in Japan remain. “Although I grew up in a culture that was all about hugging and kissing hello and goodbye, I quickly became accustomed to bowing instead. Now it is so ingrained that I often have that awkward moment when greeting friends or saying goodbye to colleagues where I pause, wondering whether to kiss, bow, or shake hands. And I still bow constantly, even on the phone. Boy, does that make colleagues and family members laugh.”

Others talk of the loneliness that comes from being the only one in a town or among her group of friends with the life-changing overseas experience. Carol, a poster on a repatriation forum on ExpatExchange.com, wrote about the troubles she faced when returning to Ohio after several years in Germany: “I thought I was prepared for—and expected—the “reverse culture shock,” but found myself driving home from the office sometimes in tears at the end of the day during my first few weeks home. It’s getting better now, but I miss Germany so much and the friends I made there. It seems that I really can’t talk very much about my experiences abroad to people here. They really just don’t understand. My perspective has broadened on political issues and culture in general, but it just doesn’t seem to matter back here.”

Another poster, Julia, wrote: “In the process of adjusting to Finland, I ultimately rejected many things American, sometimes forcefully in my desperation to make sense of life over there … now I find it much more difficult to reaccept American life than it was to accept the Finnish way, because I’ve already actively rejected it, replaced it.  And I feel weak when I allow myself to do things I rejected, like eating fast food, or telling little white lies; normal parts of American life, no big deal, yet I feel like if I go back to the way I was, then it will truly all have been for nothing.”

ExpatExchange posters shared these tips for returning home:

1.    Keep in contact with those who shared your journey overseas, whether they’re work colleagues at home or abroad.
 
2.    Reach out to meet people who have lived a substantial period abroad, even if it’s not where you spent your time abroad; they will understand your experience in a different way than someone who has never lived abroad.
 
3.    Make friends with people from the country you visited who are living in your area.  You can help them feel more at home here, and they can help you feel less “homesick” for your adopted home.
 
Finally, however great the temptation, don’t withdraw because you feel misunderstood.  Keep reaching out for the connections that ease your return home.

About The Glass Hammer
The Glass Hammer is an online community created for women executives in financial services, law, and business. It’s about work, it’s about what to do after work, and it’s about having fun and being a fantastic human being.

Says Nicki Gilmour, Founder and Publisher: “We want to help you thrive, not just survive. Our goal is to:
•    Engage you with stories from the top and the trenches and share with you the good, bad, and ugly of life in the business world.
•    Answer your questions and address work/life issues via our on-call panel of industry experts.
•    Become the ONE place you check for networking and employment opportunities.
•    Give you the best training and support so both your career and your life can flourish.
Enjoy your life—work hard, but work smart!”

Sales Partnerships, Inc. won the Stevie Award for Best Outsourcing Sales Team in the 2007 Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. The firm provides complete sales outsourcing solutions to large enterprise and middle market clients.

We recently spoke with Fred Kessler, President of Sales Partnerships, about what the company does and how it got its start, and why the trend to sales outsourcing is projected to accelerate.

		Listen to the Podcast Interview ...

Blogs, or web logs, are all the rage these days. Each month in this space we'll point you to several blogs that we think might be of interest to you.

Risky Biz : Suffering withdrawal from the US elections? Let the race for the Oscars fill the gap!
Agency Spy : News and gossip about what's happening in the world of advertising.
ESP Game : This site is not just a fun game, it's also used to train computers to solve problems.
Gene Expression : Fascinating facts on population genetics.