Wimpy

About Wimpy

Wimpy is a fast-food chain originally founded in in Indiana in 1934 by Edward Gold as Wimpy Grills. In 1954, Gold signed a license with J Lyons & Co to operate Wimpy Bar across the UK, with further international agreements a few years later through its subsidiary company, Wimpy International. The company was sold to United Biscuits in 1977, then to Grand Metropolitan, who would begin to phase out the Wimpy Bar in the UK, in 1989, rebranding many of them as Burger King (which it also owned) due to Burger King having the greater brand recognition amongst consumers.

Following various buyouts, Wimpy was sold in 2007 to Famous Brands, which had operated the South African Wimpy franchise for a number of years, and the acquisition made it the parent company. The company remains headquartered in South Africa and has more than 1,000 outlets in 22 other countries.

In April 2024, Wimpy marked its 70th anniversary by saying it is keen to sign up new franchisees. Wimpy UK general manager Chris Woolfenden said: “Our franchisees do an amazing job. As we look to the future, we are always keen to engage with new franchisees who want to join our very Wimpy special family and be part of our continuing success story.”

He added that Wimpy is targeting expansion in the north, Midlands and Scotland in the UK, and is open to more non-high street formats. “If we look at the UK, the predominant bias of the Wimpy estate is towards the south of the country,” he added. “So, when we’re looking at key areas, there’s the likes of the Midlands, and certainly the north of England and Scotland.

“There's been flexibility in the brand in the past and could well be in the future - just because it doesn’t necessarily sit with the current high street bias of the business, doesn’t make it a no. We do have a number of restaurants that aren’t necessarily the menu offering we’d have on the high street.”

In December 2025, Wimpy appointed former Chopstix Group franchise business manager Ken Gillatt as its new business development manager for the UK, while Wimpy owner Famous Brands underwent a £75m refinancing to “clean up the balance sheet” and reduce legacy debt.

In May 2026, Famous Brands chief executive Darren Hele said the year to 28 February 2026 had been the toughest year for Wimpy UK since it acquired the brand in 2007 but that it was focusing on strengthening relationship with franchisees. Hele said: “The UK is a challenging environment, and we have seen a lot of negativity in the consumer space. It’s been the toughest financial year we’ve had since owning the business - even tougher than some periods like covid. The cost pressures there are significant across the restaurant space and the franchise space and that is filtering through across the board.

“The high interest rates are dampening franchisee appetite to expand as well as revamp so that becomes a challenge. We’ve knuckled down on what we can focus on and that’s strengthening our relationship with our franchise partners to work with them to drive their businesses.

“For example, we’re trying to help offset the drop off in home delivery with driving dine-in activity. We’ve also simplified the operating structure, which will benefit the business in the new financial year.” At the year-end, the company operated 58 UK restaurants.

Why franchise with Wimpy

• ✓Wimpy is looking for individuals with prior managerial experience, good business judgement, good communication skills and financial capability to support a franchise. It takes £220,000 to start a 60-seater Wimpy restaurant and £80,000 for an express unit, both inclusive of a £10,000 franchise fee. Table service restaurants must have at least 1,200 square feet of space on ground floor, while express units must have at least 500 square feet of retail space.
• ✓Prior to becoming a qualified Wimpy franchisee, candidates will undergo a two-week skills programme at the Academy Training Store. This will be followed by constant support in sales, marketing, advertisement and customer relations, as well as frequent visits from an assigned district manager.
• ✓Furthermore, the Wimpy National Franchise Council holds meetings where franchisees may raise any issue. Royalty/management fees are 7% and advertising fees 5%, while financing is available through bank agreements. Expected profits are based on regional differences, how many Wimpy franchises are local to you and other factors.