The NFL Legend Who Owns Multiple Wingstop Locations

Celebrities and athletes have been known to diversify their wealth by investing in the food and beverage industry. Phil Mickelson, for example, owns several Five Guys locations. If you've ever been to Wingstop, you might already know that NFL legend Richard Sherman opened two of the fast casual brand's locations in the Seattle area. The cornerback played for the Seattle Seahawks for the majority of his NFL career.

Wingstop first launched in Garland, Texas, back in 1994 and is known for having some of the best fast food wings, edging out other spots such as KFC and Domino's in our ranking. After more than 30 years in business, the chain has a whopping 2,500 locations around the world. While it started by serving Buffalo wings, the chain now offers a variety of sauces, such as mango habanero and garlic Parmesan (don't worry, Chowhound ranked them all). In 1997, the brand's first franchised location opened its doors, and in 2016 and 2017, Sherman opened each of his Seattle locations as a franchise owner. He stopped at two, though, possibly because he left the Seahawks for the San Francisco 49ers in 2018.

While investing in a restaurant isn't unusual, Sherman wasn't the first NFL player to throw some money behind Wingstop. Sidney Rice, another former Seahawks player, did the same just a couple of years before Sherman did. Rice invested in five Wingstop locations that reportedly performed well financially, which might have inspired Sherman's decision. Rice has since sold his Wingstop ownership, but there aren't any updates to confirm whether Sherman still owns his locations. Wingstop also has celebrity representation from rapper Rick Ross, who reportedly owns around 30 locations (though he's come under fire for wage issues at some restaurants in recent years).

Upon Sherman's first location opening, a rep for the former NFL player revealed that Sherman enjoyed eating at Wingstop growing up, which could have also played a role in his decision to invest. Since opening his Wingstops, Sherman has continued to dabble in the food industry. In 2023, he partnered with another former Seahawks player, Kam Chancellor, and other investors to open a sports bar in Bellevue, Washington, called Legion.