Lemon Pepper Holdings

Lemon Pepper Holdings is the UK and Ireland master franchisee for Wingstop, the American fast-casual chicken wing chain. The company was founded in 2017 by Tom Grogan, Herman Sahota, and Saul Lewin, three entrepreneurs with no prior experience in restaurants who secured the franchise rights after reaching out to Wingstop’s American leadership through a cold email. Their first UK location opened on Cambridge Circus in London in 2018, initially gaining traction through viral cultural marketing — including a spontaneous cash payment to rapper Rick Ross to post about the brand on social media the day before launch. Wingstop UK deliberately positioned itself inside British youth culture through music, fashion, and sport partnerships rather than conventional advertising.

The brand’s growth has been exceptional. Sales grew 70% in 2023, and the company expanded from a single London restaurant to 57 sites across the UK by the end of 2024, making it the fastest-growing restaurant brand in the country. Wingstop UK was recognised in the Financial Times FT 1000 as one of Europe’s fastest-growing businesses and earned a top-25 ranking in the Sunday Times 100. In May 2021, Wingstop Inc. made a minority investment in the UK franchisee, reflecting its confidence in the market. Lemon Pepper Holdings employs over 1,600 people across its estate, which spans high street, shopping centre, and delivery-focused locations.

In December 2024, global investment firm Sixth Street acquired a majority stake in Lemon Pepper Holdings in a deal valued at over £400 million, with the three co-founders retaining minority shareholdings. The partnership with Sixth Street is aimed at accelerating expansion to 200 UK locations over five years. The transaction marked a landmark exit in the UK fast-casual dining sector and validated Lemon Pepper Holdings’ strategy of growing a globally recognised brand through deep local cultural embedding.