ASHEVILLE - Service industry workers have returned to work after publicly accusing Wingstop of hostile and unsafe working conditions, inferior wages and discriminatory treatment.
On Aug. 28, business at Wingstop, at 168 Tunnel Rd Unit 40, came to a halt when 10 workers declared a strike, leading to protests outside of the restaurant into the weekend, according to the Union of Southern Service Workers.
Allegations included staff being forced to work in extreme temperatures, including a high of 91.6 degrees recorded by an employee using a thermometer in the kitchen on Aug. 19. Management was accused of using slurs towards Black, disabled and women workers. Employees also complained of low pay, with management reportedly cutting hours from Black workers.
“I’m on strike today because we need better treatment, better pay, and a better environment to work at,” Marlon Boyd, a four-year Wingstop worker and Union of Southern Service Workers member from Asheville, said in a news release on Aug. 28. “I only make $18 an hour. That doesn’t cut it these days. Some months I have to skip my medicine, because I can’t afford it. That can kill you.”
The Wingstop franchise on Tunnel Road is owned by Vibe Restaurants, based in Dallas, Texas. Irfaan Lalani is the CEO, and Faisal Lalani is co-founder and chief development officer, according to the company's website.
A Wingstop corporate spokesperson wrote in an email to the Citizen Times on Aug. 31, “Wingstop expects every restaurant in our system to provide a respectful, safe, and supportive environment, and we take these matters seriously. We are working with the franchisee to gather additional details about the concerns raised at the Asheville location, which is independently owned and operated.”
Vibe Restaurants had not responded to the Citizen Times by the time of publication.
On Aug. 29, Vibe Restaurants' Michael Trifari, chief operating officer, and Jeff Root, regional vice president of operations for Wingstop, visited the Asheville restaurant to meet with the workers, according to a Return to Work Notice from the Asheville Wingstop Organizing Committee, provided by the Union of Southern Service Workers.
As of Aug. 31, the employees had resumed working, though setting conditions.
The Return to Work Notice stated that Root told employees that the demands were "reasonable and doable."
Demands listed by the Asheville Wingstop Organizing Committee included dignity and equal treatment, calling for the firing of a manager accused of making racist comments. The staff called for better health and safety measures, stating that requests to set the air conditioning at 75 degrees or lower should not be met with hostility from management.
Staff claimed that their schedules had "changed dramatically in the last few weeks," and demanded fair and consistent scheduling for employees, and the rehiring of a former worker.
A wage increase of $25 per hour for the staff was demanded, stated to be fair pay.
For 2026, the living wage in Buncombe County is $24.10 per hour, according to the Asheville-based wage advocacy organization Just Economics of Western North Carolina, calculated on how much money a single person would need to earn to afford a one-bedroom apartment in the county and cover other bills and expenses.
Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Co., covering the food and beverage industry, including the James Beard Awards, Michelin Awards, restaurant openings, closings and other hospitality industry news and events. Tips, comments, questions? Email tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow @PrincessOfPage on Instagram. Sign up for AVL Bites and Brews, our weekly food and drink newsletter here.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville Wingstop employees end labor strike, but return with demands
