Heritage burger brand Wimpy is expected to open the doors tomorrow (Tuesday 15 July) to its first restaurant in Birchington.
The opening, which creates eight new jobs, follows a substantial investment by franchisee Adnan Etemi, who is also the current franchisee of Wimpy Sittingbourne and Ashford.
He said: “I know from first-hand experience that we have plenty of Wimpy fans in Kent and I am thrilled to have been able to expand into a completely new location for us.
“Birchington is a super little seaside resort and, together with my team, I’m looking forward to meeting both local residents and visitors alike.”
Mr Etemi’s investment has seen a major renovation of the property on Station Road, including installing a smart new kitchen and dining areas capable of seating up to 45 people. Wimpy artwork and bright colours from the brand’s SHIFT design blend heritage style with a modern twist.
Chris Woolfenden, Wimpy General Manager, said: “We are delighted to bring Wimpy to Birchington for the first time and have no doubt that the new restaurant will quickly become a popular destination for those looking for great value food, freshly cooked to order and served to the table.”
Wimpy Birchington will be open from 9am to 9pm, Monday to Saturday and 10am to 5pm on Sundays. As well as dining in, Wimpy fans will be able to order takeaways and there are also plans to offer a delivery service.
The chain was founded in the USA in 1934 with the first UK Wimpy opening in The Strand, London in 1954.
At that time it was owned by J. Lyons & Co and was the first hamburger chain to be set up in the UK.
The name “Wimpy” came from cartoon character Popeye’s friend, Wellington Wimpy, who loved hamburgers as much as Popeye loved spinach!
At its height in the 70s there was a Wimpy on most High Streets but the decade also saw McDonalds and Burger King enter the UK market.
In 1989 Wimpy was bought by Grand Metropolitan, which also owned Burger King, and this led to the rebranding of many Wimpy locations into Burger Kings.
Although Wimpy restaurants were significantly reduced, a handful did survive including one on Margate seafront until recent years. There had also previously been a branch in Ramsgate town.
The Wimpy brand is now owned by Famous Brands Limited which has a network of 2,853 restaurants across Africa, the Middle East and the United Kingdom.
That will please young Checksfield. I liked a bit of class!!
I certainly like a bit of retro! Checksfield will be checking it out.
I meant to say that he likes a bit of class!
Very pleasing news, I have very fond memories of eating in Wimpy restaurants, both in Margate and west London. Hopefully, this is the start of a revival of the brand across the UK.
Yes definitely not enough burger joints in Thanet.
There aren’t in Birchington. Of the dozen or so eateries, the only other place to specialise in burgers is The Cow Shed… and on my one and only visit there, the food was lukewarm and poorly prepared.
Take your American fast food and shove it up your Arkansas.
Real cup & saucer.