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Wingstop is ready for the Super Bowl

Football fans love their wings. In fact, according to the National Chicken Council's 2016 Wing Report, 1.3 billion wings will be devoured during this Sunday's match-up between the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos.

And one chain, Wingstop (WING), expects to sell more than the 8 million wings they sold on last year's Super Bowl Sunday. The company, which has 845 locations around the world, has seen its popularity grow in recent years.

The company went public in June 2015, pricing at $19 per share and rising 61% on its first day of trade. While shares have declined in the after-market, CEO Charles Morrison joined Yahoo Finance at the ICR Conference in Orlando, Fla., to emphasize the company's strong prospects going forward.

The company experienced 7.9% same-store sales growth in 2015, above expectations, and marked 12 consecutive years of positive same-store sales growth.

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Meanwhile, Buffalo Wild Wings (BWLD) had a difficult 2015, down 13%, followed by a volatile start to the year after reports of foodborne illnesses in Kansas. This week it issued a third-straight miss-and-cut, with fourth-quarter earnings coming in at $1.32 versus consensus expectations for $1.50, driven by comparable store sales up 1% below 1.7% expectations, with downside guidance to boot.

Wingstop embraces a model different from a bar and grill atmosphere. With an emphasis on carry-out, its average restaurant is only 1,700 square feet. Plus, it focuses solely on wings, sides, and fries.

The company grew its unit count by 118 units (almost 19%) last year, and it sees potential to have 2,500 restaurants in the U.S.-- reflecting a long-runway ahead, as it's only 30% penetrated. This, along with an opportunity to open hundreds of stores internationally, makes Wingstop one of the strongest growth stories in restaurants.

The big game remains an important event for the company, which leverages its online ordering platform for Super Bowl orders. This reflects an overall online push at the company. Online sales have jumped from 7% in the fourth quarter of 2014 to 15% in the fourth quarter of this past year. And for a business that is 75% carry-out, online ordering is helping to drive efficiencies, while giving consumers a faster and easier way to order their favorite wings. The company's asset-light model also generates significant free cash flow and should support valuation.

And growth for the company isn't predicated just on one-off events like the Super Bowl, according Morrison. He described chicken wings as "portable products" for an international appetite, with new flavors and offerings fueling growth. Even though wings are an "indulgence," Morrison emphasized his company's fresh, cooked-to-order products.

"People really reward us for the fact that we make fresh products with fresh ingredients every day."

For now, though, Wingstop is looking forward to a record Super Bowl.