BILLINGS— Wingstop opened at 2346 Grand Ave. in Billings Tuesday at 8 a.m., with customers lined up outside the door for hours.
Wingstop management said at the opening they are confident the restaurant will thrive, even though Billings has struggled to keep restaurants open recently. Peppers Bar and Casino, The Sassy Biscuit, Craft B&B and a Starbucks have all recently shut down.
Watch to see the grand opening:
Related: Billings sees two bar and casinos close their doors Monday
“The expectations are great for Wingstop. It's great food. It's great comfort food. And we're so confident that with a strong brand, like Wingstop, it's going to last forever, especially here in Montana,” said Operations Director Naldy Ilagan.
The store opened with a line going out the door. People started lining up at 5:30 a.m.
Related: Sassy Biscuit in Billings announces it's closing after 7 years
“We're from California, so we are very excited to hear that they were gonna be here,” said customer Jessica McCormick.
“Proud supporters, I would say,” said Jessica’s daughter, Harley McCormick.
Another customer, high school student Elijah Degges, said he missed his first-period class to see the grand opening.
“It started at 7:50, so I apologize to my first-period teacher. I'm sorry, Ms. Hatlestad. I'm so sorry,” said Degges.
See the scene from the opening:
Billings Chamber Vice President of Business and Talent Growth Cathy Grider said the overall business climate in Billings remains strong, despite recent closures.
“For every restaurant that closes, we oftentimes see two or three new ventures arise,” she added.
