Dear Wingstop
My name is Alex I am a Gary, Indiana resident, a law student, and a Compliance Analyst. I live about six minutes from your Gary Wingstop (3360 Grant St, Gary, IN 46408), and for years it has been my preferred location. I pass other Wingstops on my commute, but I choose this one because it is closer to home and, in the past, convenient.
On the evening of October 2, 2025, at around 10:41 PM, I walked into this Wingstop expecting to place a quick order. What happened instead left me dismayed, and questioning whether this store values its customers or its reputation.
What Happened That Night:
When I entered the store, I noticed the door was open, the lights were on, and the store appeared to be operating. There was a young woman sweeping and she gave me perplexed look. When I approached the counter a young man who was frying chicken reluctantly walked over. He looked confused and hesitant. I asked if he could take my order, His response confused me:
“I don’t know if we’re open, cause I just started. But we closed cause I’m finna get off work.”
I reminded him that Wingstop is usually open until midnight or later. He repeated that he “just started” and didn’t know. At that point, the young woman sweeping the floor chimed in, “Yeah, he gets off in 20 minutes, so we closing, but he can still cook your chicken, so I don’t know why he told you that”.
I was baffled. Was the store truly closing early simply because one staff member’s shift was ending (The staff member who claimed to be new at that)? Were no other employees available, I was literally looking at one, and chicken was still currently being fried.
I asked to speak to the manager.
A young man wearing a du-rag, identified by the staff as “Tae” emerged from the back and presented himself as the manager. I explained my concern: the doors were open, no signs indicated an early closure, and customers had just walked in to pick up food, plus food was still be prepare as we spoke, so why couldn’t I order. He cut me off with a casual, dismissive response:
“Yeah, ma’am, we’re closed”
When I pressed for clarification, pointing out that other Wingstops nearby were still open, he offered no explanation beyond “we’re short-staffed, he’s finna get get off work, so we not taking orders.”
I then asked for the corporate number or address to follow up. To my shock, this “manager” flatly stated, “Nope, I don’t know it.” I repeated the question, and he again insisted he did not know any contact information for the store and that he was in charge. Imagine my disbelief—a manager at a national franchise who claimed not to know how to reach his own corporate office.
Even stranger, while I was being denied service, I noticed delivery drivers (Uber Eats) arriving and picking up orders. When I pointed this out, “Tae” told me that walk-ins were different and would not be served. So, the store was closed for me, a local walk-in customer, but still taking delivery orders in the exact same time frame.
When I started to document the situation with photos, the “manager” grew defensive. Another staffer—the same young man who initially told me he was “new”—ran outside as if he was panicked and asked if I was really taking pictures. I told him yes, because I intended to report the situation. His nervous response was, “Ma’am, I just got this job, sooo yea please…” His plea told me everything I needed to know: even employees recognized how unprofessional this looked, but no one felt empowered to correct it.
According to posted hours, this store should be open until 1 AM. Yet here I was, turned away at 10:41 PM, with employees casually announcing that they were closing because one worker’s shift was ending. No signs. No notice. Just indifference.