Popular American fast food chain Wingstop moves closer to opening new restaurant in Northampton town centre

Plans were approved in May this year for chain to open at the former Circus shop on the corner of the Drapery.

Lemon Pepper Holdings Limited has recently submitted an application to West Northamptonshire Council for a new premises licence for its planned Wingstop restaurant at 1 The Drapery.

According to the application, the restaurant would open from 10am each day, closing at midnight from Sunday to Wednesday and at 2am from Thursday to Saturday.

The site will open next door to Wingers, a similar fast-food chicken wing restaurant. Also along the Drapery are German Doner Kebab, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, KFC and more. Just around the corner, on Gold Street, there is a Rio’s Peri Peri chicken fast-food chain and a Freddy’s fast-food restaurant.

Residents have until 28 October 2025 to submit their comments on the application. If no objections are received, the council may approve the licence automatically.

Wingstop is known for its cooked-to-order, hand-sauced and tossed chicken wings. Their menus also includes tenders, burgers and churros, as well as soft drinks and milkshakes.

The company has this month (October) opened a new site in Rushden Lakes, which saw the first 100 people through the door receive free chicken wings.

See inside the new Wingstop restaurant at Rushden Lakes here.

Chris Sherriff, CEO at Wingstop UK, said: "We’re excited to finally open our first restaurant in Northamptonshire with the launch at Rushden Lakes. The lakeside setting and mix of shopping, leisure and dining make it a great spot to introduce our incredible flavours, from Lemon Pepper to Mango Habanero. Thank you to the crew who have worked incredibly hard to bring this opening to life. The buzz on social has shown us there's demand, now it's over to the fans to decide their favourite flavour!"

The opening is part of the brand’s intended growth in the UK, as Wingstop currently operates 76 sites across the UK and employs over 3,000 people, with plans grow to as many as 200 sites within the next five years.

Circus closed down in autumn 2024 after first opening in 2001.