| Type | Wholly owned subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Founded | Chicago (USA) (1930s) [1]. Coventry Street, London (UK) (1954) |
| Founder(s) | Eddie Gold (USA), J. Lyons and Co (UK) |
| Products | Fast Food (hamburgers • chicken • french fries) |
| Parent | Famous Brands Limited |
| Website | UK website, South African Website |
Wimpy is the brand name of a chain of fast-food hamburger restaurants based in the United Kingdom.
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The Wimpy brand was created in the 1930s. The name was inspired by the character of J. Wellington Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons created by E. C. Segar. Eddie Gold was running 12 restaurants by the early 1950s, when the concept of fast food came to the attention of the directors of J. Lyons and Co. Lyons licensed the brand for use in the United Kingdom and in 1954 the first "Wimpy Bar" Lyons was established at the Lyons Corner House in Coventry Street, London.[1] Originally the bar was a special fast-food section within the more traditional Corner House restaurants, but the success soon led to the establishment of separate Wimpy restaurants serving only hamburger based meals. By 1970 the business had expanded to over a thousand restaurants in 23 countries.[1]
In 1977, the business was acquired by United Biscuits. By the late 1980s, Wimpy was beginning to lose ground to McDonald’s, who had opened their first UK restaurant in 1974, and so the new management of Wimpy began to streamline the business by converting some of the traditional table service restaurants to counter service. In 1989, the business was sold to Grand Metropolitan (now Diageo). Grand Metropolitan had acquired Burger King the previous year and they began to convert the “counter service” restaurants to Burger King restaurants. In 1990, the remaining 220 “table service” restaurants were purchased by a management buy-out backed by 3i. A second management buy-out occurred in 2002.
Although Wimpy has decreased in numbers in the United Kingdom, it is still found in some towns and cities and at the Dundee Megabowl[2] and Namco Funscape Newcastle (XS Super Bowl) bowling alleys.[3] The branches at the Roadchef and bowling alley locations typically have an 'express' counter service as opposed to a table service format.
Wimpy is the only major fast food chain that offers Quorn burgers on the menu.
On 27 February 2007, Famous Brands, which owns the Wimpy franchise in South Africa, announced that it had acquired Wimpy UK. Having acquired the brand, Famous Brands has re-branded Wimpy in the UK to bring it in line with Wimpy South Africa. The "new" logo is actually one used by Wimpy UK from the 1960s until the 1980s.
Wimpy is currently re-branding and refreshing all its restaurants, an operation which commenced on 22 October 2007 with the launch of the new format at the Benfleet, Essex branch. Wimpy features new décor, seating and signage and a return to the original Wimpy colours of red and white. Supporting the new look is an improved menu and a significant marketing campaign.[4]
Wimpy used to have many branches in Egypt and Morocco. It was the first international burger restaurant in Egypt and it was Morocco's second. However, both businesses were closed by 1998 in both countries.
In Egypt, there was a network of branches which covered almost all districts in Cairo and Alexandria. The Mohandissein branch was owned and managed directly by the agent in Egypt. Wimpy was expanded in Egypt through signing several franchise contracts with Egyptian investors. Part of those franchise branches are: 'Maryland branch' in Heliopolis, Pyramids Branch, Shooting Club branch, Hoda Shaarawi branch, Talaat Harb branch, Nasser City branch, Manshyet El Bakry branch and many others. Maryland branch in Heliopolis was found by Raafat Sadek Zahran and his sons Bahaa El Din, Samir and Ahmed Raafat Zahran. Raafat Sadek Zahran was also one of the founders of Saudi Elevator Co. (Schindler Elevators). Raafat Sadek Zahran was also the head of Zahran Family in Mansoura. Ahmed Raafat Zahran is an Egyptian consultant in the field of Human Resources Management and Development, as well as Organizational Development. Ahmed Raafat Zahran worked on several restructuring assignments for the benefits of the Egyptian Government: Information and Decision Support Centre, Foreign Trade Training Centre, Capital Market Authority. The branch of Huda Shaarawi in Down Town area and Shooting Club branch in Giza was found by Mostafa El-Shorbagi.
There is only one branch still functioning in Cairo, which is the Nasser City branch.
Wimpy was one of the first fast-food restaurants to open in India's post-liberalised economy. With a run of initial success, Wimpy was often touted as the first icon of 'westernization' in India. A few of the remaining restaurants still in business are in New Delhi - Connaught Place
Wimpy has been in Ireland on two occasions, in the 1960s and more recently in the early 2000s.
In the 2000s, petrol station chain operator Petrogas took on the master franchise for Ireland,[5] and operated a large number of sites, but they have since ceased to operate these.[6] Most have been replaced by "Grill'n'Fill" own-branded areas selling virtually identical products, or Burger King which Petrogas are now are franchiser for.
Wimpy was the first overseas fast-food chain to open in Japan; the first branch opened in 1970 in Shinsaibashi, Osaka. In 1992 Wimpy formed a business partnership with Russell's Restaurant Inc. to open a new Russell's chain of hamburger restaurants, but the company withdrew from Japan in 1998.
Wimpy opened in Al-duiya in Kuwait in the 1970s. It is now only in Al-Nuzha, Kuwait.
Wimpy had branches in New Zealand including Hamilton, Paraparaumu and Taupo but have now closed. One store remained in Rotorua but this was put up for sale in 2008 and has since closed.
Wimpy opened in South Africa in Durban in 1967. The business was sold to Bakers SA Ltd in the late 1970s and later to the Famous Brands Limited.
In 1976, Wimpy opened their first restaurant in Bogotá, Colombia. Branches trading as Wimpy in Germany preceded the U.S. based chains. Other countries with Wimpy restaurants include Guatemala, Norway, Sweden, Lithuania, Kuwait, Egypt, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Beirut Lebanon, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Botswana, and Japan.
It is now owned by Famous Brands that recently completed a takeover of Wimpy within the UK.
In the 2011 film adapdation of the novel, some of the characters are seen eating in a Wimpy restaurant.
The main character of the 1967 Peter Cook and Dudley Moore comedy film Bedazzled works as a cook at a Wimpy bar.[7]
The song 'Dancing with the Moonlit Knight' from the album Selling England by the Pound features the lyrics Chewing through their Wimpy dreams, they eat without a sound. Digesting England by the pound.
In the song "Up to me" on the album Aqualung by Jethro Tull, leave you in a Wimpy bar is part of the lyrics.
In the fourth episode of the second series of Life on Mars (TV series), a BBC speculative fiction series, DCI Hunt mentions a Wimpy Bar.
During the 1980s, advertising for the Wimpy chain featured a cartoon character called Mr. Wimpy. He was almost entirely hidden under a large hat, and only a nose and a smile were visible. His physical appearance was a visual pun, as his costume was the red dress uniform of the Beefeaters at the Tower Of London, playing on the beef-oriented nature of the chain's menu. In certain branches, a member of staff would dress up in a Mr. Wimpy costume for pre-arranged children's parties.
Mr. Wimpy also appeared in an official computer game by Ocean Software, released in 1984 on the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and other formats.
Although the Wimpy chain's name was originally inspired by the Wimpy cartoon character in Popeye, the chain's own Mr. Wimpy bore no resemblance to Popeye's Wimpy.
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