Wimpy News

A major refurbishment programme has been completed for two Wimpy restaurants in Colchester, and King's Lynn in Norfolk.

The move underlines franchisee Raj Bhangal’s faith and commitment to the much-loved Wimpy brand, especially at such a difficult time for the hospitality industry.

“The last few months have certainly been challenging,” said Raj. “We felt this was exactly the right time to take advantage of a quieter period to carry out the refurbishment work, so we can be ready as diners return to the high street. Investing in the new branding is really exciting for us and we can’t wait to show it off.”

Both restaurants have seen the introduction of Wimpy UK’s new SHIFT Design, building on the brand’s strong heritage and much-loved traditions, featuring bright new colours, new seating and layout.

Wimpy Colchester, situated on the High Street, has been in Raj’s family for the last 16 years. The refurbishment sees new counters, kitchen area and lighting; as well as new tables and chairs capable of seating 60 diners inside and 20 outside on the pavement.

At Wimpy King's Lynn, in New Conduit Street, work included the tripling of the outdoor seating area,
which will now have room for around 40 diners and 80 customers indoors.

Wimpy has been shortlisted in the Business Transformation category at the bfa HSBC British Franchise Awards, to be held at the Vox, Birmingham, on November 30.

Chris Woolfenden, General Manager, Wimpy UK, said: “Wimpy is thrilled to have been shortlisted by the bfa. We are incredibly proud to be such a great British success story and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to our brilliant franchisees and their teams who do such a great job serving our customers.”

The awards evening is the flagship event in the franchising calendar and getting a nomination in itself is an achievement, proving the business works ethically and in the best interests of franchisees and staff, beating many other franchise systems who also entered.

Pip Wilkins QFP, CEO of the British Franchising Association, congratulated the food chain: “Wimpy, in its heyday, had around 1,000 outlets in the UK. Now with 68, the focus is on a real community feel for the customer and providing excellent value. This clear focus has been one reason for Wimpy recording like-for-like sales growth of five per cent from the previous six months.”

Andrew Brattesani, Head of Franchising, HSBC, said: “The community feel of the brand has been evident with the launch of a new website which is far more engaging and interactive. It’s an iconic brand, and it’s fantastic to see that this community is growing once again, with a real focus on being at the heart of charitable and local initiatives.”

On Saturday 4 July 2020, most Wimpy restaurants will re-open their eat-in dining areas. Restaurants will be operating a reduced menu with fewer covers available, thus limiting the number of customers permitted to use table service.

In accordance with government guidelines, additional safety measures have been put in place to protect our customers and staff.

Customers can still enjoy a Wimpy from the comfort of home or on-the-go by using our home delivery or takeaway service.

Use our Find Your Wimpy search facility to find out what services your local Wimpy is currently offering.

Visit our FAQs section to find out more about the new measures in place.

A smart, new-look Wimpy Borehamwood reopened for business on Wednesday (April 29), offering takeaway and home delivery services.

It’s a welcome return to the town for franchisees, the Bastug family, who have just invested in a major makeover for the restaurant, costing thousands of pounds.

The refurbishment programme has seen Wimpy Borehamwood adopt Wimpy UK’s new SHIFT Design, building on the brand’s strong heritage and much-loved traditions, featuring bright new colours, new seating and layout.

Tuguy Bastug, the third generation of his family to run the Wimpy, said: “The new look is 100% amazing and it is even better than we could have imagined. Adopting the SHIFT design is a whole a new chapter, we’re very proud at what we’ve achieved and can’t wait to start cooking again.

“Of course, we can only do takeaway and home delivery at the moment, but as soon as the restrictions are lifted, we’re looking forward to welcoming all our much-loved customers back. Everyone in the town knows us so well, they have been asking what we are doing and now they will be able to see for themselves.”

The restaurant opened in 1961 and is thought to be the oldest business still operating on the town’s high street. It was started by Tuguy’s grandad and then run by both his father Rashid and his uncle, before he became a director nearly four years ago.

Wimpy opened its doors in Orpington on Easter Monday (April 13) for the first time in 35 years.

Due to the current coronavirus ‘lockdown’ it will be offering a takeaway service from its new High Street premises and home delivery services via Deliveroo.

Joint franchisee Nico Sokoli, an experienced chef and manager, will be running the new Wimpy operation.

He said: “We’re thrilled and delighted to be bringing Wimpy back to Orpington. Obviously it won’t be the big grand opening that we had initially planned, but we think providing a takeaway and home delivery service for local people is really important right now.

“We know Wimpy was a much-loved brand in the town and we can’t wait to get started. In time, we hope to be able to welcome both new and old generations of Wimpy lovers into our brand new restaurant, but until then, we hope they will enjoy what we have to offer from our takeaway counter and via our home delivery partners.”

Simon Noble, Wimpy UK’s operations manager, said: “The whole Wimpy team is supporting Nico in his desire to open Wimpy Orpington with a takeaway and home delivery service and we sincerely hope that local residents will appreciate the chance to enjoy their favourite Wimpy dish from the comfort of their own home.

Nico and his business partner Florenc Sokoli already own and operate two other Wimpys in Welling and Strood.

Wimpy UK has launched its first ever staff reward scheme, recognising the achievements of staff employed across its 69 restaurants nationwide.

Wimpy Icons rewards special success in four categories: Ability & Skill; Behaviour & Attitude; Customer Care; and Moments That Matter.

Each month Wimpy employees, from kitchen staff to front-of-house, will be eligible to be nominated for an award by their manager. If they win, they will be given a unique pin badge to wear which reflects their success, as well as a £50 voucher of their choosing.

Wimpy General Manager, Chris Woolfenden, said: “This November, we are excited to launch a scheme that allows all restaurant staff the opportunity to be rewarded by the Wimpy brand and literally wear their achievements with pride.

“Our new scheme will be an ongoing campaign that we believe will help make all Wimpy employees feel valued, no matter what their role.”

Sauce lovers are in for a treat as Wimpy launches its iconic own-brand Wimpy Special Sauce and Wimpy Tomato Ketchup onto the retail market for the first time. The 500ml bottles are available to buy in the majority of Wimpy restaurants this year.

Wimpy General Manager, Chris Woolfenden, said: “Our Special Sauce and Ketchup have added the proverbial ‘icing on the cake’ to our breakfasts, burgers and grills for decades. Customers are always asking why they can’t buy a bottle and we finally decided it was time offer them as an early Christmas treat.

“We love the fact we’re extending the Wimpy brand into peoples’ homes and believe that with such a great heritage behind us, we’ll soon be a kitchen staple, giving everyone the chance to enjoy a taste of Wimpy whenever they want to.”

Launched in 1989 with a secret recipe, over 25,000 litres of Wimpy Special Sauce are used in the UK’s casual dining chain restaurants every year, while Wimpy Tomato Ketchup has been a true family favourite since day one, with more than 35,000 litres used in Wimpy’s UK restaurants every year.