Wingstop has more than 1,000 restaurants internationally, including 25 owned by US rap royalty, Rick Ross and is expanding into the UK market at pace.

Westminster City Council has granted planning permission and a premises license to run a restaurant operating 7 days a week. The 4,257 sq ft premises, previously occupied by HSBC Bank, will span two storeys. The restaurant joins nearby occupiers Shake Shack, BrewDog, Will Ricker’s La Bodega Negra, Dishoom and The Ivy.

LSH’s London based Retail, Restaurants & Leisure team advised the landlord, managing and overseeing the change of use for the building to move from a retail bank (A2) to a restaurant (A3) in under 3 months. In addition, LSH is providing building consultancy advice to convert the property from a bank to a restaurant, and the landlord has seen the property more than double in value since.

Alex Lowry, Director – Retail, Restaurants & Leisure, at Lambert Smith Hampton commented:

“We expect this to be the perfect UK flagship location for Wingstop. It’s a hugely popular chain in the US, with big UK ambitions, starting in London. It’s an ideal time to set up shop here with Crossrail on the horizon an influx of new visitors will follow, and sales are estimated to increase to over £11bn by 2020 in the West End. We’re happy to have sealed a great deal for our client, adding value in a tricky retail market in the process.”