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Restaurant Brands vs Wingstop: Founders, CEOs and History

Restaurant Brands was founded in 2014 by Jorge Paulo Lemann, Marcel Herrmann Telles, Carlos Alberto Sicupira and is led by Joshua (Josh) Kobza. Wingstop was founded in 1994 by Antonio Swad and is led by Michael Skipworth.

Company facts

Restaurant Brands

Founded
2014
Headquarters
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Current CEO
Joshua (Josh) Kobza

Wingstop

Founded
1994
Headquarters
Addison, Texas, United States
Current CEO
Michael Skipworth
Employees
1,173

Founders

Restaurant Brands

  • Jorge Paulo Lemann

    Jorge Paulo Lemann is the absolute driving force behind 3G Capital. A legendary Brazilian billionaire, he orchestrated the massive, multi-billion dollar mergers that created AB InBev and Kraft Heinz.

  • Marcel Herrmann Telles

    Marcel Herrmann Telles is a core founding partner of 3G Capital alongside Lemann. Known for his absolute, fanatical obsession with operational efficiency and zero-based budgeting, he helped execute the ruthless cost-cutting strategies that initially skyrockete…

  • Carlos Alberto Sicupira

    Carlos Alberto Sicupira is the third core founding partner of 3G Capital. His massive financial expertise and aggressive deal-making heavily facilitated the massive debt structures required to acquire Tim Hortons and Popeyes, cementing RBI as a global fast-foo…

Restaurant Brands founders in full

Wingstop

  • Antonio Swad

    Antonio Swad is a Texas restaurateur who opened the first Wingstop in Garland, Texas in 1994. He gave the shop an aviation theme and a short, wing-focused menu, then began franchising it. He sold Wingstop to Gemini Investors in 2003.

Wingstop founders in full

CEOs and their tenures

Restaurant Brands

  1. Daniel Schwartz2013–2019

    Former Chief Executive Officer

    A 3G Capital partner who led Burger King and then RBI through the Tim Hortons combination and the 2017 Popeyes acquisition, later serving as co-chairman.

    Source
  2. Jose Cil2019–2023

    Former Chief Executive Officer

    Led RBI through the COVID-19 period, the 2019 Popeyes chicken sandwich launch, the 2021 Firehouse Subs acquisition and the start of Reclaim the Flame.

    Source
  3. Patrick Doyle2022–present

    Executive Chairman

    Focuses on franchisee economics, Burger King U.S. execution and capital allocation alongside CEO Josh Kobza.

    Source
  4. Joshua Kobza2023–present

    Chief Executive Officer

    Leads RBI's multi-brand strategy, including the Burger King U.S. turnaround, the 2024 Carrols acquisition and refranchising plan, the 2025 Burger King China joint venture with CPE, and the 2028 growth targets reaffirmed at Investor Day 2026.

    Source
  5. Sami Siddiqui2025–present

    Chief Financial Officer

    Oversees financial reporting, leverage and capital returns, including the roughly $1.6 billion 2026 shareholder return plan.

    Source
Restaurant Brands CEO history in full

Wingstop

  1. Charlie Morrison2012–2022

    Chairman and CEO

    He transformed Wingstop from a regional chain into a global franchise with thousands of locations, overseeing a massive increase in system-wide sales and brand recognition before departing in 2022.

    Source
  2. Alex Kaleida2021–present

    Chief Financial Officer

    As CFO, she helped sustain strong franchisee unit economics and profitability through periods of severe inflation and macroeconomic consumer pressure.

    Source
  3. Michael Skipworth2022–present

    President and Chief Executive Officer

    Under his tenure, digital sales grew to represent a massive majority of system-wide revenue, though the company has more recently faced industry-wide headwinds in same-store sales.

    Source
Wingstop CEO history in full

Timeline: Restaurant Brands and Wingstop side by side

  1. 1954Restaurant Brands

    Burger King is founded

    James McLamore and David Edgerton founded Burger King in Miami, creating the flame-grilled burger brand later owned by RBI.

  2. 1964Restaurant Brands

    Tim Hortons begins

    Tim Horton and Ron Joyce built the Canadian coffee and quick-service brand that later became central to RBI.

  3. 1972Restaurant Brands

    Popeyes is founded

    Al Copeland opened the Louisiana-style chicken brand that RBI acquired in 2017.

  4. 1994Wingstop

    Founding

    Antonio Swad opens the first Wingstop in Garland, Texas.

  5. 1997Wingstop

    First franchised restaurant

    The first franchised Wingstop location opens, three years after the original restaurant.

  6. 2003Wingstop

    Sale to Gemini Investors

    Swad sells Wingstop to private equity firm Gemini Investors.

  7. 2005Wingstop

    Lunch service begins

    Wingstop begins serving lunch.

  8. 2009Wingstop

    Boneless wings added

    Wingstop begins selling boneless products.

  9. 2010Wingstop

    Roark Capital ownership

    Roark Capital acquires Wingstop.

  10. 2010Wingstop

    First international restaurant

    Wingstop opens its first restaurant outside the United States, in Mexico.

  11. 2014Restaurant Brands

    Restaurant Brands International is formed

    Burger King and Tim Hortons combined to form Restaurant Brands International as a multi-brand quick-service restaurant platform.

  12. 2015Wingstop

    IPO

    Wingstop lists on Nasdaq as WING.

  13. 2017Restaurant Brands

    Popeyes joins RBI

    RBI acquired Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, adding a global chicken growth platform.

  14. 2018Wingstop

    London entry

    Franchised Wingstop restaurants begin opening in London, United Kingdom.

  15. 2021Restaurant Brands

    RBI agrees to acquire Firehouse Subs

    RBI announced the Firehouse Subs acquisition for $1.0 billion, adding a fourth brand to the platform.

  16. 2021Wingstop

    Thighstop announced

    On June 21, 2021, Wingstop announces Thighstop, a digital-only restaurant selling chicken thighs.

  17. 2022Wingstop

    CEO transition

    Michael Skipworth succeeds Charlie Morrison as CEO.

  18. 2023Restaurant Brands

    Joshua Kobza becomes CEO

    Joshua Kobza became CEO effective March 1, 2023, succeeding Jose Cil.

  19. 2024Restaurant Brands

    Carrols acquisition closes

    Burger King completed the acquisition of Carrols Restaurant Group for about $1.0 billion to remodel and refranchise a large U.S. Burger King portfolio.

  20. 2025Restaurant Brands

    System-wide sales grow 5.3%

    RBI reported FY2025 total revenues of $9.434 billion and consolidated system-wide sales growth of 5.3%.

  21. 2025Restaurant Brands

    Burger King China joint venture announced

    RBI and CPE announced a China joint venture with $350 million of primary capital and a plan to grow Burger King China to more than 4,000 restaurants by 2035.

  22. 2025Wingstop

    3,000 restaurants

    Record 493 net new openings bring the system to 3,056 restaurants at year-end.

  23. 2026Restaurant Brands

    Investor Day reaffirms 2028 targets

    RBI reaffirmed 8%+ organic AOI growth and 5%+ net restaurant growth by 2028.

  24. 2026Restaurant Brands

    Q2 2026: Burger King U.S. comps up 8.5%

    System-wide sales grew 6.4% and revenue rose 4.5% to about $2.52 billion.

  25. 2026Wingstop

    Club Wingstop launch

    National loyalty launch in Q2; restaurant count reaches 3,255 by June 27, 2026.

Acquisitions

Restaurant Brands

  • Carrols Restaurant Group2024$1B
  • Firehouse Subs2021$1B
  • Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen2017$1.8B
  • Tim Hortons combination2014$11.4B
All Restaurant Brands acquisitions

Wingstop

  • Three franchised restaurants2025$9.2M
  • Two franchised restaurants2023$4.4M
  • Two franchised restaurants2017$3.9M
All Wingstop acquisitions

Questions about Restaurant Brands vs Wingstop

Who is the CEO of Restaurant Brands International Inc. and Wingstop Inc.?

Restaurant Brands International Inc. is led by Joshua (Josh) Kobza and Wingstop Inc. is led by Michael Skipworth. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.

When was Restaurant Brands International Inc. founded vs Wingstop Inc.?

Wingstop Inc. was founded in 1994 — 20 years before Restaurant Brands International Inc., which was founded in 2014. Wingstop Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Restaurant Brands International Inc..

How many employees does Restaurant Brands International Inc. have compared to Wingstop Inc.?

Wingstop Inc. employs approximately 1,173 people. A verified employee count for Restaurant Brands International Inc. is not currently available.

Where are Restaurant Brands International Inc. and Wingstop Inc. headquartered?

Restaurant Brands International Inc. is headquartered in Canada and Wingstop Inc. is headquartered in United States. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.

Who founded Restaurant Brands International Inc. and Wingstop Inc.?

Restaurant Brands International Inc. was founded by Jorge Paulo Lemann, Marcel Herrmann Telles, Carlos Alberto Sicupira. Wingstop Inc. was founded by Antonio Swad.

Which company has a longer operating history — Restaurant Brands International Inc. or Wingstop Inc.?

Wingstop Inc. has been operating for approximately 32 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Restaurant Brands International Inc. has been in operation for around 12 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.

Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Restaurant Brands vs Wingstop overview

Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.