Wingstop opening downtown Spokane location

A Texas-based restaurant chain that specializes in chicken is about to take wing in downtown Spokane.

Wingstop, which currently has five locations in and around Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, will be adding a new location at 2 W. Third Ave., Suite 104, said owner TC Krueger, who also owns the other five locations.

“We are hoping to open the second week of April,” said Krueger, who lives in American Fork, Utah, located just north of Provo.

But Krueger noted he hasn’t officially named an opening date because city inspectors have yet to give him the final approval.

Krueger owns the Wingstops located at 9333 N. Newport Highway; at 2503 W. Wellesley Ave., and at 9926 W. U.S. Highway 2 in Spokane; at 8901 E. Trent Ave. in Millwood; and at 2630 N. Government Way in Coeur d’Alene.

Business has been robust enough for Krueger to open a sixth location.

“I can’t complain,” he said. “We do well.”

Crews from Associated Construction Inc. of Spokane were working Friday in the interior of the building, which previously housed Fig Tree Home, a boutique furnishings retailer.

The crews were finishing interior renovations that included installing oven hoods and other amenities necessary to house the chain, which specializes in chicken wings.

The new franchise is moving into an area of the Lilac City which has lost several businesses whose owners complained of crime and people experiencing homelessness.

Krueger said he and Wingstop officials, who are based in Garland, Texas, spoke at length about the security concerns before deciding to give the location a try. The first restaurant featuring Buffalo-style chicken wings opened in 1994 and the company now boasts more than 2,500 locations.

The new Wingstop is located one block south of a former Starbucks that closed on Oct. 23, 2022, based on concerns raised by company officials.

“It’s a concern for sure,” Krueger said. “We’ve had multiple attempted break-ins.”

But business advantages finally won out.

“It checks a lot of boxes. That building is fairly new. It’s super visible from the interstate,” he said. “It’s central to the downtown areas.”

He noted that much of Wingstop’s business is delivery based, as opposed to walk-up traffic at Starbucks.

“We are kind of the opposite of Starbucks. So, we kind of felt like if you don’t want to go to that area, you can still get the food pretty easily,” Krueger said. “We consulted with Wingstop. It shouldn’t be something to not open because of it.”

Krueger said he would solidify the opening date as soon as he learns more about inspections for the recent renovations.