wimpy hamburger chain

[47][48] Before its final failure and pullout in the 1980s, Wimpy was joined in an emerging market for hamburger restaurants by Burgeranch (since 1972) and MacDavid (since 1978). Roadside services operator Granada began to convert Little Chef branches to Burger King from 1996. Wimpy was ground-breaking in two respects: It was the first chain that attempted to court an upscale diner with 10-cent hamburgers, and it was the first to go overseas. Burgers, fries, and soda or pop (depending on where in PA you live) just make a classic American meal, right? On 27 February 2007, Famous Brands, which owns the Wimpy franchise in South Africa, announced that it had acquired Wimpy UK. [19] By the beginning of the 21st century, most Wimpys were found in less desirable low-rent locations that primarily cater to pensioners and others on a fixed income, rather than the high street locations of former times. The "new" logo is the one that had been used by Wimpy UK from the 1960s until the 1980s. Discover our menu of burgers, mixed grills or fish 'n' chips. Gold eventually opened 26 stores across six states. Trying to find a Wimpy's Burgers and Fries? One store remained in Rotorua trading as Wimpy, although it was not part of the franchise chain. [50], Competition from other chains was difficult, and the assets of Wimpy Colombiana Ltd were sold to competitor Presto (Frayco) in 2008, thus ending the presence of the chain in the country. A poetry film by David C. Johnson , it laments the demise of the fast food chain Wimpy which was first established in the UK in 1955. [35], In 1963, the Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn obtained a license from Chicago-based Wimpy International to open the first Wimpy restaurant in the Netherlands on Leidsestraat in Amsterdam. Grand Met acquired the Wimpy hamburger chain and converted its outlets to the Burger King fascia. [28]. Originally a much-smaller chain founded in the United States in the 1930s, there it had used hamburger-eating Popeye character J. Wellington Wimpy as its symbol and inspiration. Its popularity soon led to the establishment of separate Wimpy restaurants serving only hamburger-based meals. [39], Restaurateur Heinrich Lobenberg opened the first Wimpy restaurant in West Germany under a franchise license from Wimpy International at the Bochum Hauptbahnhof in December 1964, exactly seven years before the first McDonald's in West Germany, with plans to open up to 300 units in West Germany. Version 4.4.5. We all probably have our own favorite place to get a juicy burger with our favorite toppings and a hearty helping of golden fries. A second management buyout occurred in May 2002, backed by the Bank of Scotland. Have no fear; we’ve compiled a list of all the Wimpy's Burgers and Fries locations. In 1989 the delish Wimpy relish was introduced to the burger range. ", "Old Adverts #52 – Wimpy, Dorset St, Dublin with Phil Lynott, 1968 – Brand New Retro", "The week in the community: May 30 – June 5, 1966", "Albert Heijn door de jaren heen: de 20e eeuw", "De eerste McDonalds van Europa stond in Zaandam", "Wimpy Fast Foods gets embroiled in legal battle involving charges of cheating, forgery", WIMPY Historia (Wimpy Colombiana archived website), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wimpy_(restaurant)&oldid=1009871632, 1970s disestablishments in the United States, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2021, Articles with failed verification from August 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 2 March 2021, at 18:29. Glad I did: what a good old fashioned delicious burger (ok, cheeseburger, double-meat too). 31 likes. [11], Buchwald wrote, "Food served at the table within ten minutes of ordering and with atomic age efficiency. [12][13], By 1970, the business had expanded to over 1,000 restaurants in 23 countries. [27], Since 1970, the Americana Group has operated a single Wimpy restaurant within the Arab state of Kuwait. [10], In July 1977, the business was acquired by United Biscuits. The first WIMPY restaurant in the country began operations with the inauguration of Unicentro, the first mall-type shopping centre in Bogotá, in April 1976. | Designed and Developed by J&E Media Corp. Click a location name to view hours, directions, and contact info: Headings are used on this site. [16] These were locations that were considered less desirable by Grand Metropolitan. That same year, the Wimpy … Enter your unique code via the Danger Mouse promotional page on the Wimpy website at www.wimpy.uk.com and fill in your details to claim your free personalised Danger Mouse Secret Agent Training Certificate. We were not alone then in wanting to break new ground in this country. By 1966, he began to expand outside the capital, starting with Lille. Wimpy Cheese Burger. Stop in for more information or contact us today to learn more! I was out living in San Diego for about 5 years, everytime I came home I was sure to make a stop there. [21], By 2011, Famous Brands had 509 Wimpy restaurants in South Africa, making it the largest franchise in the Wimpy franchise system. The news took me back 60 years to 1957, when my husband and I opened one of the first British Wimpy Bars. Does anyone know if the Wimpy's hamburger chain is still around? [29] Although successful, Borel was forced to close the chain in 1969, owing to a disagreement he had with Lyons, the British parent company. Wimpy's Diner is a chain of 50's & 60's style family restaurants with a full serve menu. One of White Castle’s fiercest Chicago competitors was a hamburger chain named after the hamburger-eating degenerate, J. Wellington Wimpy, the beloved Popeye character. [6] The chain vanished within the United States after Gold's death because no one had purchased the rights and trademark to the Wimpy name from Gold's estate. The last Wimpy in New Zealand was put up for sale in May 2008. [45], Wimpy was one of the first fast food restaurant chains to open in India's free market economy. [33][failed verification] In the 2000s, petrol station chain operator Petrogas took on the master franchise for Ireland,[34] and operated a large number of sites until 2010. By 1970, they were a huge success and had expanded to over 1,000 restaurants in 23 countries. With a contract from the British-owned Wimpy chain, he opened his first four hamburger havens in Paris in 1961 and proceeded to lose money for two years. [citation needed] These were all rebranded in 2002. File:Mr. Wimpy Coverart.png. [citation needed], The Wimpy brand was established in 1934 by Edward Gold, when he opened his first location in Bloomington, Indiana under the name Wimpy Grills. The chain began in 1934 in the United States and was based in Chicago. With a run of initial success, Wimpy was often touted as the first icon of 'Westernization' in India. Wimpy is back! This may be because of an assumption they might be prostitutes. Services for Edward V. Gold, 70, founder of the International chain of Wimpy hamburger restaurants, will be at 2:30pm, Tuesday in the chapel at 5206 North Broadway. Smoky BBQ Burger. (oooh Crushed ICE my favorite)" The joint company eventually grew to 1,500 locations, with Gold later selling his share to Lyons prior to his death. The burgers are so … Burgers and the seasoned fries are great! Grand Metropolitan had acquired Burger King the previous year, and it began to convert the counter service restaurants to Burger King since it had a greater global brand recognition. [44] Unable to compete with McDonald's, the Wimpy brand was withdrawn in 1975 and most Wimpy bars became independent fast food outlets. [44], Wimpy had branches in New Zealand, including Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Paraparaumu, Wanganui, Palmerston North, New Plymouth and Taupo. [24] The South African restaurants were sold to Bakers SA Ltd in the late 1970s, which in 1987 sold the South African chain to Pleasure Foods, then known as Juicy Lucy SA. Pickup from Thursday 11:00 am Estimated prep time: 15 minutes Items More #1 The Wimpy This is the one that put us on the map! [2][3] The name was inspired by the character of J. Wellington Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons created by E. C. Segar. [47][48][49], In Colombia, WIMPY was established in 1976, being one of the first international fast food chains operating in the country. BACK in the ‘70s, a burger and chips at the local Wimpy bar was every kid’s Saturday treat. [26], Famous Brands acquired the United Kingdom-based Wimpy in February 2007, thus becoming the parent company for the chain and beginning to collect the franchise fees from the other franchises. Wimpy restaurants were infamous in Israel for poor product flavor, sanitation and hygiene; however, the chain did pioneer hamburger restaurants in Israel. [15], In February 1990, the remaining 216 table service restaurants were purchased by a management buyout, backed by 3i. [25] Famous Brands Limited, then known as the Steers Holdings Limited, acquired Wimpy when it bought Pleasure Foods in 2003. Adding a Wimpy's gift card also makes this a great gift idea. Wimpy was infamous in Israel for poor flavor and even sanitation and hygiene, however, it did expose Israelis to hamburger restaurants. In addition to familiar Wimpy burgers and milkshakes, the British franchise had served ham or sardine rolls called torpedoes and a cold frankfurter with pickled cucumber sandwiches called Freddies. We've made it easy for you. Sunday/Monday: $6.99 Hamburger & Cheeseburger Plates Tuesday: $1.99 Hamburger & Cheeseburger Wednesday: $5.99 Hamburger & Cheeseburger Combos Wimpy's Sauces Stop in and pick up a bottle. The name was inspired by the character of J. Wellington Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons created by E. C. Segar. An interior view of a Wimpy in South Africa (2016). Wimpy’s Burgers and Fries is open for business in Germantown. At its height in the '60s, '70s and '80s, it was a titan of food and drink with more than 500 restaurants across the country. [5], According to a 1978 Chicago Tribune article, Gold's company Wimpy Grills Inc. of Chicago, had 25 locations in the United States at its peak, but only seven locations remained at the time of his death in 1977. Delivery & Pickup Options - 196 reviews of Wimpy's Hamburgers "I love this place. A unique code can be found on all Danger Mouse activity sheets available at participating Wimpy stores only. [6], In 1954, Gold sold a licence to J. Lyons and Co. to use the Wimpy name in the United Kingdom. Simply click on the Wimpy's Burgers and Fries location below to find out where it is located and if it received positive reviews. The Wimpy licence in Australia was held by Happysnaks Pty Ltd and was owned by restaurateur and entrepreneur Oliver Shaul. Now Borel serves 60,000 meals a day in Paris, and sales will run to $15 million or $16 million this year. Gold did not open his first Chicago area location until two years later in 1936, after opening units in five other Midwestern cities. By the end of that year, he was able to open three more locations within Paris. Then in 1974, another burger chain opened its first restaurant in the UK and the rest is history… [31] Within a short time, Borel had 20 locations; 15 in Paris and five in the rest of the country. [21][22] Having acquired the brand, Famous Brands has rebranded Wimpy in the United Kingdom, to bring it in line with Wimpy South Africa. This arrangement ceased when Wimpy UK became a subsidiary of the South Africa-based Famous Brands in 2007. He was the inspiration behind the name of the burger chain started by Edward V. Gold in Bloomington, Indiana, in 1934, expanding to Chicago in 1936. In May 1961, French businessman Jacques Borel opened his first Wimpy restaurant in Paris after obtaining an exclusive franchise to operate Wimpy restaurants in France. [37] Although there are no verifiable records showing when the last Wimpy closed in the Netherlands, it appears that Wimpy may have left the Netherlands by 1969 since Albert Heijn ceased to mention Wimpy in their corporate annual reports after 1969. Of a chain of 50 's & 60 's style family restaurants with a full serve menu 2002... 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