ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Wimpy Restaurant Set For Relaunch As It Boasts Of 'Exciting Plans' For UK Customers

Wimpy Restaurant Set For Relaunch As It Boasts Of 'Exciting Plans' For UK Customers

There's only around 80 restaurants in Britain at the moment.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

The fast food restaurant industry seems pretty rock solid with the likes of McDonald's, Subway, KFC and Burger King leading the pack. But despite their strong foothold in the UK and elsewhere around the world, another, much smaller chain is hoping to give them a run for their money.

Known well for its Bender burger, The Wimpy Bar is hoping to make a comeback next year in Britain. A company spokesperson has told the Daily Star: "We do have many exciting plans under development behind the scenes. But these won't be for public consumption for until February - May 2018."

Inside a Wimpys restaurant in South Africa
Inside a Wimpys restaurant in South Africa

Inside a Wimpys restaurant in South Africa. Credit: Creative Commons/Discott

The chain was huge in the UK in the 70s and 80s, however the remaining stores were eventually converted into Burger Kings because they were owned by the same parent companies, and BK had better 'brand recognition'.

There are now only about 80 Wimpy restaurants around Britain, but hopefully that is about to change.

That has got some people particularly excited.

Many people rejoiced at the thought of chowing down on a Bender burger or quarter pounder with cheese once again.

While it's hard to beat the big guns like McDonald's, a quick look through their menu makes for some very salivating scrolling.

However, they'll need to be careful about how they remerge into the market as they're up against some pretty fierce competition.

Food and drink consultancy firm CGA Vice President Peter Martin has told the Daily Star: "It's always very difficult bringing back old brands - nostalgia only works with old people. Pricing is key in this market, you really need scale to look after your margins.

"That is an area that is outed by the likes of McDonald's, Greggs and Wetherspoons and they do very well because they are big companies run incredibly efficiently.

"So if you're bringing Wimpy back you've got to do something a bit special."

The first Wimpy opened at the Lyon's Corner House on Coventry Street, London in 1954. It spread to South Africa in 1967 where it's grown to become one of the biggest franchises in the country. It hit its peak in the early 70s when there were 1,000 restaurants in 23 countries.

We'll have to wait and see whether or not the revamp is a hit with people who have never heard of the chain before.

Sources: Daily Star

Featured Image Credit: Betty Longbottom/Creative Commons

Topics: UK News, south africa, Burger King, McDonald's, Britain