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An iconic American chain is expanding its Australian foothold after the wild popularity of its first store, which opened to huge queues.
Wingstop opened in Sydney’s Kings Cross in May to a lot of hype from fans, and now it is expanding, with a Penrith location now open.
The fried chicken establishment was just one of many American chains to open in Australia in 2025.
What’s opened in Australia in 2025?
Australia has had several American fast food chains open their doors in 2025 — from Wingstop, known for its variety of chicken wings, every child’s fantasyland Chuck E. Cheese, square burger patty home Wendy’s and soft pretzel haven Auntie Anne’s.
What’s to come?
Wendy’s has opened two stores in 2025 — both in Queensland — and has a plan to open 200 stores in the next 10 years. Wingstop also launched its second store, opening up in Sydney’s west.
However, one of the more exciting pieces of information to come out of the Australian food scene is that Shake Shack is coming to Australia — temporarily.
Shake Shack, which started in New York’s Madison Square Park in 2001 as a hot dog cart, will be heading to Australia as a pop-up at the 2026 Australian Open, which runs from January 12 until February 1.
It will be at TOPCOURT, a (new precinct in Middle Terrace at Melbourne Park), and John Cain Arena.
The burger chain will be serving its most popular product, the ShackBurger, which is a single cheeseburger that contains a smashed Angus beef patty, melted American cheese, tomato, lettuce, and the secret ShackSauce, served on a toasted potato bun.
The pop-up will also be serving an exclusive Australian Open Shake, which will only be available at TOPCOURT in January.
Aussies had a huge reaction to the news that some would finally get a chance to try the iconic chain at one of the country’s most illustrious sporting events.
“Just tried it in Kuala Lumpur, amazing burgers. Can’t believe they haven’t come to Australia sooner,” one social media user said.
Another added: “Had Shake Shack in Singapore. Loved it!”
What’s the reaction been
Reactions have been mixed to some of the establishments landing in Australia. For instance, Wingstop was greeted with massive queues with people waiting hours for a chance to try the brand’s chicken wings and crispy tenders.
But soon, people were frustrated by the price. For instance, a three-piece tender pack was $15.95, while a five-piece was $21.95.
If you wanted to add chips and a drink, these prices rose to $21.95 and $27.95, respectively. Meanwhile, a six-pack of boneless wings was $16.95, and a 10-pack was $20.95 — again without any drinks or sides. For a regular Voodoo fries — which is loaded with cheese sauce and cajun seasoning — it was $9.95.
Popular food vlogger @c1ndyxie shared her view, saying, “These prices are definitely American because three tenders were $15.95.”
She joked she spent her entire hourly pay on the food she ordered, but in the end, she gave an overall positive review of the dining experience.
Wingstop Australia was asked about its prices, with a spokesperson telling news.com.au: “Wingstop is a cooked-to-order, fast-casual dining experience, not fast food. Our generous portions made with 100 percent Australian-sourced chicken, high-quality ingredients, and bold flavours set us apart.
“With 12 signature flavours and freshly made sides, we’re proud to offer an experience that’s unmatched in the market. The response over the opening weekend was unprecedented.
“We saw huge lines both Saturday and Sunday, and made sure to look after every guest waiting, handing out water, chocolate, merch, ponchos, and umbrellas to keep the energy high. “We’re grateful for the love Sydney has shown us, and we’re just getting started.”
Similar scenes were seen when Auntie Anne’s opened in Parramatta Westfield with people lining up from 4 a.m. to get their hands on hand-rolled soft pretzels.
During its first few days of trading, demand for the iconic Auntie Anne’s pretzels was so overwhelming that customers were only allowed to buy three at a time.
Meanwhile, some of those who have been lucky enough to get their chops around the bread-like product have complained that it was “burnt” and “didn’t taste great.”
Yu-Jin Lee, who, along with his business partner Johann Wong, has worked with Auntie Anne’s to bring the chain to Australia, told news.com.au at the time the store had been inundated with customers and, as such has had to take measures to make sure no one is disappointed.
Wendy’s has been met with rave reviews since it landed in Australia.
TikTok user @hhollyrooneyy gave her review of the items, saying the Frosty (like a milkshake, only thicker and creamier) was “thick enough for a spoon and smooth enough for a straw.”
“But the real winner of the day was these hand-breaded chicken tenders,” she said.
Another content creator, @foodsack, also gave his opinion on the range. He declared the spicy chicken tenders as “some of the best fast food tenders” people will ever get. The foodie also tried the chilli cheese-loaded fries. “These were pretty good, but I don’t think they need the cheese sauce,” he said.
What hasn’t worked
Not every overseas venture works in Australia. Last year, Carl’s Jr., which had plans to open 300 stores in Australia, went into voluntary administration. Meanwhile, an X user snapped a picture of the Martin Place, Sydney CBD Five Guys diner with no visible customers, captioned “the hype has died off.”
Five Guys has been in Australia for four years and only has five stores — three in Sydney and one in Melbourne.
Popular food content creator and energy drink creator Russ Eats said that he thought these brands were finally coming to Australia after COVID.
However, he said he can only see these massive chains lasting if they adapt to two things: the prices need to be lowered, and they need to have the ease of a drive-through.
“Australia is very anti-big corporate giant,” he said.
Russ added that while some adaptation of menu items was good — like Wendy’s creating chicken tenders specifically for an Aussie audience — some brands take it too far.
“Prime never changed its flavour for Australia, and it exploded, and then it died because no one actually liked the drink,” he said.
But, on the other hand, alcoholic beverage Four Loko changed its base, can design, and size of the beverage.
“They changed all the stuff that made Four Loko, Four Loko, and then it’s just like, ‘What’s the point,’” he said.
What do food lovers say
Russ tested out Wendy’s and Wingstop, saying he rated the burger chain.
“It’s hard because in America it’s designed to be cheap, and then they come here and they’re a bit more expensive,” he said.
“I think Wendy’s is a bit more expensive, but I really liked it.”
He said it sat somewhere between Maccas and Chebbo’s (a burger shop in Sydney), but he deemed Wingstop to be “overrated.” However, he said that his followers really rated the brand’s tenders.
“The next big thing is probably American barbecue; we haven’t really done that here,” he said.
“There’s a place called Briskets on the Gold Coast, and he’s trying to be the fast food version of American food, but his brisket is better than most restaurants I’ve been to.
“My dream would be probably American food, but in the format of Guzman, Maccas, KFC.”
Ange Eats, another popular food content creator, said the arrival of Wingstop and Wendy’s in Australia was a “huge moment and milestone in his foodie career.”
“Finally, having the opportunity to try these brands in Australia on their arrival here has been a dream come true without having to fly to America, and it has created a huge stir in the fast food game in Australia,” he said.
He added it’s exciting Aussies can enjoy these items now without having to leave their backyard.
“Definitely also excited to see Shake Shack hit Melbourne for the Australian Open next year,” he said.
“This will be a big moment in their Australian movement to see how the general public react.”
