Q&A: Does Wimpy Franchise in the UK?

Wimpy is one of America’s most famous burger restaurants. A product of the thirties, it has an extensive history behind it, and is now an international brand. But does Wimpy franchise? Let’s find out.

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Fast food fans across the globe have enjoyed meals at Wimpy, an iconic American brand serving burgers, breakfast meals, desserts and drinks. It was one of the world’s first fast food takeaways and has developed a huge international customer base.

Does Wimpy franchise?

Yes, Wimpy uses the franchise model to expand internationally. Investors in Great Britain can take advantage of the model by getting involved with Wimpy UK, the brand’s British investment network.

History of Wimpy

Wimpy - or Wimpy Bar, as it was originally called - was founded by Edward V. Gold in 1934. The first outlet was in Chicago, but the brand was soon able to expand across the globe.

In 1954, J. Lyons & Co. established Wimpy’s UK network, with a restaurant in Lyon’s Corner House in London. The brand was the first to serve hamburger meals to the British public.

Fast forward two decades and Wimpy had taken its brand around the world. It had more than 1,000 restaurants across 23 countries, including 500 in the UK. However, as McDonald’s rose in popularity in the 1980s, the franchise scaled back its operations.

Did you know? The Wimpy brand dates back to 1934.

Meanwhile, Wimpy introduced its famous ‘special sauce’ in 1981 and became the first burger chain to serve meat-free patties in 1986. And in the 1990s, it started using Quorn products too.

Now, Wimpy is growing its network once again, and is on the lookout for investors to launch new stores in their local territories.

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Starting a Wimpy franchise unit

Wimpy is ready to provide its franchisees with the expertise and know-how it has accumulated during six decades in the burger restaurant business. If you choose to invest in the iconic US brand, you’ll benefit from its wide-reaching reputation, delicious menu and extensive support network.

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Becoming a Wimpy franchisee:

As a Wimpy franchisee, you’ll join the chain in its mission to balance quality food with affordability. The business is on the lookout for investors with experience leading employees, but candidates should also have great business acumen, good communication skills and the ability to manage money effectively.

Once you’ve made your investment, the Wimpy franchise team will ask you to set up a restaurant business with a footprint of around 1,500 square feet.

How much you need to invest:

The amount it costs to set up and launch a Wimpy outlet will depend on the size of the site. You’ll need roughly £220,000 to develop a 60-seat table service restaurant with at least 1,200 square feet of space.

But you can cut costs by opting to establish an express unit, with over 500 square feet of space, as this smaller model should come in at a total investment of around £80,000. These figures include Wimpy’s £10,000 franchise fee.

If you need to borrow money to get your business off the ground, it might be worth discussing financing options with Wimpy’s franchisor. Often, franchises have established partnerships with leading banks, allowing investors to access attractive loans. Usually, franchisees can borrow up to 70 percent of their investment costs from an official bank or lender.

What you get for your investment:

The Wimpy franchise team takes pride in its history as a leading quick service restaurant business. That’s why it goes out of its way to make sure all investors have the skills and knowledge needed to launch and run profitable units with the company ethos behind them.

Every investor can expect to receive business support throughout their time with the fast food franchise.

The Wimpy franchise induction scheme begins with a two-week skills programme, which investors can complete at the chain’s Academy Training Store. Then, the support team will provide guidance with various aspects of running a Wimpy franchise restaurant, including sales, marketing and customer relations.

Plus, all investors are assigned a district manager when they first join the network, so they always have a contact, should complications crop up. The representative will make frequent visits to franchisees’ stores to make sure everything is running smoothly.

On an ongoing basis, franchisees can attend the Wimpy National Franchise Council’s regular meetings. During these events, investors have the chance to network with other business owners in the franchise and raise any issues they may have.

To find out more about becoming a franchisee with the Wimpy brand, you should get in touch with the franchising team. Email info@wimpy.uk.com or call 01628 891655 to register your interest and ask for more details on the investment opportunity.

Running your own business with a quick service restaurant franchise

The quick service restaurant franchise sector is full of exciting investment opportunities with leading brands. In fact, many of the openings in the franchising world belong to the food industry, which gives would-be restaurateurs the chance to benefit from an added level of security.

By becoming a franchisee, you can use an existing business’s wealth of expertise, proven strategies and significant brand awareness to get a headstart and beat the competition. Although food franchise opportunities can cost several hundred thousand pounds, the perks of being part of an internationally recognisable brand make the investment worthwhile.

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