Foodies have been queuing outside a new fast food restaurant in Sydney, with fans camping out overnight in the cold and rain just to get their hands on chicken wings. Wingstop, a US buffalo chicken wing chain, opened its doors in Ashfield, Sydney's inner west, on Friday, marking its fourth restaurant in Australia.
Overnight Queues for Free Wings
The American brand is best known for its sticky, sweet and spicy wings coated in 12 different flavours, seasoned fries and signature dipping sauces, including ranch and bleu cheese. Onlookers noticed customers sleeping on camping chairs as they braved the rain from midnight, 11 hours before the doors officially opened at 11am.
There was a reason customers were eager to be first in line. Wingstop was giving the first 10 customers free chicken wings for a year, making the overnight wait worthwhile. 'Camping out in the cold and rain for chicken wings... They must be good. Anyone tried them? Is this hype real?' a passerby said in disbelief in a Reddit thread.
Mixed Reactions Online
Some were confused about the early morning lineup, with one person ranting: 'This is f**king insane. There is no food that is worth waiting like this.' Another claimed: 'It's definitely not worth waiting for. In the US, Wingstop is mid at best.'
'None of that is worth sleeping in the cold, wet conditions (and noise) for one night,' another added, laughing. However, many said scoring free chicken wings for 12 months was worth the wait. 'Free wings for a year? In this economy? Sign me up,' one said.
'Okay free wings for the first 10 people in line. Even as a vegetarian I can ALMOST see the appeal of that,' another shared. 'To be fair, back when I was a student, I would camp out for free wings for a year,' one confessed.
'It's a pretty solid prize and for some people, it's actually a lot of money to win free wings for a year. Would I line up myself? No chance. Can I understand why some people would to get a free lunch/free wings for a year? Absolutely,' another added. 'If I was 11th in line I'd be plotting a murder about now,' one joked.
Local Excitement
Sydney's Inner West residents expressed their excitement over the new Ashfield store, with many saying they no longer have to trek out to Kings Cross. 'So happy there's a Wingstop opening near me - I've been waiting,' one said.
'Tried it today... Wings are hectic,' another shared. 'Love a good Wingstop! The best hangover food,' one suggested. 'This place gets better and better,' another said. 'OMG worth the hype,' one added.
Mega fans confirmed the Ashfield store was by far their favourite Wingstop location. 'After having been to all four Wingstop stores in Australia, the Ashfield branch is by far the best. The portions compared to the other stores were very generous... flavour wise both me and my partner agreed that this was by far the best Wingstop in Australia. This is also dangerous given we are now 10 minutes away,' one raved.
'My first visit, and definitely not my last! There were so many wing flavour options to choose from... The portion size was also much bigger than I expected. The tenders were incredibly crispy, and the Hot Honey flavour was amazing,' another shared.
Expansion Plans
The American fast food chain opened its first Australian store in Kings Cross in May 2025, followed by Penrith and Parramatta. The Ashfield venue marks another step toward Wingstop's goal of opening more than 100 restaurants across Australia.
