U.S – Industry leader in food safety and operational assessments Steritech, has crowned Wingstop, a chain of restaurants specializing in chicken wings, as this year’s winner of food safety excellence.
The awards, known as Excellence in Food Safety awards, were part of the Fast Casual “Movers and Shakers” ceremony held in Chicago.
Founded in 1994, Wingstop has quickly become one of the fastest growing fast casual wing destinations. With nearly 1,900 locations, Wingstop continues to expand its footprint, fueled by a mission to “serve the world flavor.”
Through a multi-tiered approach requiring participation from every Wingstop team member, including senior leadership and vendors, Wingstop has created the winning recipe, earning top honors in the 2022 Excellence in Food Safety awards.
“It is clear that Wingstop has worked to ensure food safety is incorporated into the foundation of their brand. The youngest of the three finalists, Wingstop’s growth and success is a true testament to the benefits of establishing a food safety culture that can grow and expand with the brand,” said Doug Sutton, President of Steritech.
Fast casual restaurants nationwide submitted nominations for the award, which were chosen and interviewed by a third-party research and assessment firm.
The criteria included exhibiting foundational food safety behaviors, such as senior leadership commitment and engagement, food safety communications, defined standards and procedures, training, key performance indicators and scorecards, oversight programs and positive recognition.
“Food safety is a non-negotiable in the restaurant industry. This award recognizes those brands that take their food safety measures beyond the minimal requirements, investing in their people, in order to build a culture of food safety excellence,” said Sutton.
Five Guys and Taco Bell were also recognized at the event, both receiving honorable mention awards.
Five Guys, a veteran of achieving food safety excellence, earned its third Excellence in Food Safety award in four years.
With a targeted approach to food safety, Five Guys franchisees have the ability to develop custom food safety and operational checklists based on the restaurant’s unique needs.
Five Guys uses communication, training and technology to advance the company’s food safety commitment, building a food safety culture worthy of a finalist spot in the 2022 Excellence in Food Safety awards.
Taco Bell on the other hand is a well-established restaurant in the fast-casual restaurant industry with more than 7,000 locations.
Led by a dedicated food safety team and supported by senior leadership, Taco Bell’s commitment to food safety is highlighted through annual food safety calendars, weekly field reviews and a designated intranet service providing digital access to every food safety resource.
This strong culture of continuous improvement earned Taco Bell an honorable mention.
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