Wimpy (restaurant)

Last updated
Wimpy
FormerlyWimpy Grills, Wimpy Bar
Company type Wholly owned subsidiary
Industry Restaurants
Founded1934;90 years ago (1934) in Bloomington, Indiana, US
FounderEdward Gold (US)
Headquarters
Johannesburg
,
South Africa
Number of locations
523 (2023)
Areas served
 South Africa, United Kingdom, Kuwait, Egypt, Lesotho, United Arab Emirates
Products Hamburgers, Chicken, French fries
Parent Famous Brands
Website www.wimpy.uk.com
www.wimpy.co.za
www.wimpy.me

Wimpy is a fast-food chain that was founded in the United States. It found its success internationally, mainly in the United Kingdom and South Africa. It has changed between being a table-service establishment and counter-service establishment throughout its history. [1]

Contents

The chain was founded in Bloomington, Indiana, by Edward Gold in 1934 as Wimpy Grills, with the chain in the United States hitting its peak with 26 locations in 1947. In 1954, Gold signed a license with J. Lyons and Co. for them to operate Wimpy Bar across the United Kingdom, with further international agreements a few years later through its subsidiary company, Wimpy International. By 1977, there were only seven Wimpy locations in the United States, which all folded following Gold's death in that year. Despite the brand's demise domestically, the chain would peak at 1,500 international locations the following year. [2]

The company was sold to United Biscuits in 1977, and then to Grand Metropolitan in 1989. Grand Metropolitan began to phase out the Wimpy Bar in the United Kingdom, rebranding many of them as Burger King (which it also owned) because Burger King had the greater brand recognition amongst consumers, and to aid market competition against McDonald's. [3] Following various buyouts, Wimpy was sold to Famous Brands in 2007. Famous Brands had operated the South African Wimpy franchise for a number of years, and the acquisition made it the parent company.

As of June 2023, the company remains headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, where it has 453 outlets; [4] this is followed by the United Kingdom with 62 outlets. [5] In 2017 and 2020, the company announced plans for nationwide expansion in the United Kingdom. [6] [7] There are also outlets in Kuwait, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Lesotho.

History

Origins in the United States

The Wimpy brand was established in 1934 by Edward Gold, when he opened his first location in Bloomington, Indiana, under the name Wimpy Grills. [8] [9] The name was inspired by the character of J. Wellington Wimpy from the Popeye cartoons created by E. C. Segar. Gold did not open his first Chicago area location until two years later in 1936, after opening units in five other Midwestern cities. [10] By 1947, the Chicago Tribune reported that the chain had 26 units, and expected to sell eight million hamburgers annually in the Chicago area. [11]

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. [2] 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. [2]

Wimpy in Israel 1969 Dan Hadani collection (990044456220205171).jpg
Wimpy in Israel 1969

Wimpy's International

In 1954, Gold sold a licence to J. Lyons and Co. to use the Wimpy name in the United Kingdom. [12] [13] Wimpy Grills Inc. of Chicago later formed a joint company with Lyons called Wimpy's International Inc. in 1957. Wimpy's International was based in Chicago and allowed the brand to operate Wimpy Grills in the rest of the world. [14]

The joint company eventually grew to 1,500 locations, with Gold later selling his share to Lyons prior to his death. [2] After obtaining full control of the international licensing outside of the United States, Lyons and its successors handled global franchising through their United Kingdom-based subsidiary Wimpy International Ltd. This arrangement ceased when Wimpy UK became a subsidiary of the South Africa-based Famous Brands in 2007. The South African company started to handle worldwide franchising duties directly from Johannesburg.

United Kingdom

A Wimpy restaurant in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire (2010) Wimpy - Cloth Hall Street - geograph.org.uk - 1702815.jpg
A Wimpy restaurant in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire (2010)
A Wimpy restaurant in Ryde, Isle of Wight (2011), with the previous logo Ryde Union Street Wimpy Restaurant.JPG
A Wimpy restaurant in Ryde, Isle of Wight (2011), with the previous logo

Lyons obtained a licence to use the Wimpy brand in the United Kingdom from Edward Gold's Chicago based Wimpy Grills Inc. [12] [13] and, in 1954, the first "Wimpy Bar" was established at the Lyons Corner House in Coventry Street, London. [15] [16] The bar began as a special fast food section within traditional Corner House restaurants, but the success soon led to the establishment of separate Wimpy restaurants serving only hamburger-based meals.

In a 1955 newspaper column, Art Buchwald, syndicated writer for the Washington Post , wrote about the recent opening of a "Wimpy's Hamburger Parlor" on Coventry Street and about the influence of American culture on the British. [16]

Buchwald wrote, "Food served at the table within ten minutes of ordering and with atomic age efficiency. No cutlery needed or given. Drinks served in a bottle with a straw. Condiments in pre-packaged single serving packets." 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. [16]

During the 1970s Wimpy refused entry to women on their own after midnight. This may have been because of an assumption they might be prostitutes. [17] [18]

By 1970, the business had expanded to over 1,000 restaurants in 23 countries. [15]

In July 1977, the business was acquired by United Biscuits. [19] In 1978 the long-running Mr Wimpy advertising character was introduced. starting in Brighton. [20] The fast food chain coined its name from J. Wellington Wimpy in the Popeye cartoon strip, so used Mr Wimpy, an exaggerated beefeater figure, to advertise and promote their product, including employing people to wear Mr Wimpy suits outside the restaurants. [21] By the end of the 1980s, Wimpy was beginning to lose ground to McDonald's, which had opened its first restaurant in the country 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. When United Biscuits decided to divest its restaurant division in 1989, it sold the business to Grand Metropolitan (now Diageo). At the time of the sale, there were 381 locations in the United Kingdom. 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. [22]

In February 1990, the remaining 216 table service restaurants were purchased by a management buyout, backed by 3i. [23] These were locations that were considered less desirable by Grand Metropolitan. At the time of the buyout, there were also 140 franchised locations outside of the United Kingdom. In October 1999, Wimpy rolled out a chain of restaurants known as Dr. Beaks, to take on brands such as KFC. [24]

A second management buyout occurred in May 2002, backed by the Bank of Scotland. [25] At the time of the sale in 2002, there were approximately 300 locations in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Although Wimpy outlets have decreased in numbers in the United Kingdom, they are still found in many towns and cities, including Huddersfield, and at seafront/seasonal locations, such as Felixstowe, Clacton-on-Sea, Clarence Pier in Southsea. [26] 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. [27] Another big change from earlier times was that most locations were now franchises and not company-owned operations.

On 27 February 2007, Famous Brands, which owns the Wimpy franchise in South Africa, announced that it had acquired Wimpy UK. [28] [29] Having acquired the brand, Famous Brands has rebranded Wimpy in the United Kingdom, to bring it in line with Wimpy South Africa. The "new" logo is the one that had been used by Wimpy UK from the 1960s until the 1980s. In November 2009, Famous Brands began to upgrade its 170 locations in the United Kingdom to resemble United States-style diners. [30] As of November 2024, 61 restaurants remain in the United Kingdom. [31]

IRA bombing

On 26 October 1981, Kenneth Howorth, an explosives officer with London's Metropolitan Police, was killed whilst attempting to defuse a bomb planted by the Provisional Irish Republican Army in the basement of Wimpy's in Oxford Street. [32]

South Africa

Wimpy South Africa
Wimpy South Africa.jpg
An outside view of a Wimpy franchise in Cape Town, South Africa (2016).
Wimpy South Africa interior.jpg
An interior view of a Wimpy in South Africa (2016). Note the distinctive US-style diner inspired design.
Wimpy burger and chips.jpg
A typical Wimpy burger and chips with carbonated drink, including cutlery, from the South African Wimpy (2016).

Wimpy International opened its first South African location in Durban in 1967. [33] 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. [34] Famous Brands Limited, then known as the Steers Holdings Limited, acquired Wimpy when it bought Pleasure Foods in 2003. [35]

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. [28]

As of November 2024, Famous Brands has 456 Wimpy restaurants in South Africa, making it the largest franchise in the Wimpy franchise system. [4] [36]

Lesotho

There is a Wimpy restaurant in Maseru, the capital of Lesotho. [4]

Kuwait

Since 1970, the Americana Group has operated a single Wimpy restaurant within the Arab League nation of Kuwait. [37] By January 2022, the chain expanded to three locations. [38] As of November 2024, Americana Group has eight locations in Kuwait. [39]

Egypt

During the late 1970s and 1980s there was a Wimpy restaurant in the Zamalek area of Cairo, but this subsequently closed. In 2021 the opening of a new Wimpy in Cairo was announced, [40] [41] and it opened on 30 June.[ citation needed ]As of November 2024, Americana Group has 16 locations within the Cairo region of Egypt. [39]

United Arab Emirates

The Wimpy brand returned to the United Arab Emirates when Kuwait-based Americana Group opened three locations within the city of Abu Dhabi in December 2022. [42] [43] As of November 2024, there are 7 locations in the United Arab Emirates.

Former locations

Europe

Finland

There were three franchise locations in the Finnish capital Helsinki between 1973 and 1977. [44]

France

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. [45] [46] His restaurant was the first hamburger restaurant in France and predated the opening of the first McDonald's restaurant by a decade.

By the end of that year, he was able to open three more locations within Paris. By 1966, he began to expand outside the capital, starting with Lille. [47] Within a short time, Borel had 20 locations; 15 in Paris and five in the rest of the country. [45] Borel's company was so successful that the French newspaper France-Soir called the French franchise "public enemy number 1" for introducing American hamburger cuisine and fast food to French public at large. [45] Although successful, Borel was forced to close the chain in 1969, owing to a disagreement he had with Lyons, the British parent company. [48]

Ireland

Wimpy has been in Ireland on two occasions, in the 1960s and 1970s, and in the early 2000s. [49] [ failed verification ] In the 2000s, petrol station chain operator Petrogas took on the master franchise for Ireland, [50] and operated a large number of sites until 2010. [51]

Most have been replaced by Grill'n'Fill own-branded areas – selling virtually identical products – or Burger King, for which Petrogas had obtained the franchise. Petrogas terminated its master franchise agreement with Wimpy International in 2010. [51]

Netherlands

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. [52] A second restaurant opened the following year on Damrak. [53] 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. [54] In 1971, Albert Heijn helped McDonald's to open its first restaurant in Europe by establishing a franchise in Zaandam. [55] Wimpy International from London, owned by United Biscuits, opened two counterservice restaurants, while Wimpy Benelux, a company owned by Wimpy International, opened one new restaurant in The Hague in 1978.[ citation needed ] A second Wimpy on Damrak was converted to counterservice in 1979.[ citation needed ]

West Germany

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. [56] Lobenberg had cofounded the then five-unit Kochlöffel chain just three years before in Lingen. [56] There are no verifiable records that Lobenberg opened a second Wimpy unit or how long the Bochum restaurant operated before it closed. A food historian writing in 2014 believes that Wimpy's failure to survive in Cold War era West Germany was caused by West German consumers of the 1960s preferring to eat familiar German-style chicken meals at the local Wienerwald chain instead of getting an unfamiliar American-style hamburger sandwich at Wimpy. [57] At that time, Wimpy "was regarded with mere curiosity". [57]

Oceania

Australia

The Wimpy licence in Australia was held by Happysnaks Pty Ltd and was owned by restaurateur and entrepreneur Oliver Shaul. [58] [59] The first Wimpy bar opened in Sydney in November 1964, owned and operated directly by Happysnaks. Subsequent Wimpy bars operated as franchises.

By 1971, there were 70 Wimpy bars around Australia, the most successful being in Hindley Street, Adelaide. [60] Unable to compete with McDonald's, the Wimpy brand was withdrawn in 1975 and most Wimpy bars became independent fast food outlets. [60]

New Zealand

Wimpy had branches in New Zealand, including Rotorua, Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Paraparaumu, Wanganui, Palmerston North, New Plymouth, Taupo, Napier and Wellington.[ citation needed ] These were all rebranded in 2002. One store remained in Rotorua trading as Wimpy, although it was not part of the franchise chain. The last Wimpy in New Zealand was put up for sale in May 2008. [61]

Asia

India

Wimpy was one of the first fast food restaurant chains to open in India's free market economy. With a run of initial success, Wimpy was often touted as the first icon of 'Westernization' in India. A few of the restaurants which were still in business were located in Punjab until 2002. [62]

Indonesia

It is unclear when Wimpy opened its first Indonesian location. But it was most likely to have expanded to Indonesia in the late 1980s under the Singaporean subsidiary. Their lone store in the Blok M district of Jakarta closed down in the late 1990s.

Israel

Wimpy entered the Israeli market in the 1960s, and for a time dominated the hamburger restaurant market. [63] [64] The Israeli subsidiary also operated branches in Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, and Iran, as well as Sharm el Sheikh within the then-Israeli occupied Sinai. [65] 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). Wimpy restaurants were infamous in Israel for poor product flavor, sanitation and hygiene; however, the chain did pioneer hamburger restaurants in Israel. [63] [64] [66]

Malaysia

It is unclear when Wimpy opened its first Malaysian location. But it was most likely to have expanded to Malaysia in the mid-1980s under the Singaporean subsidiary. Their stores in Kuala Lumpur and George Town closed down in the late 1990s.

Saudi Arabia

There was a location in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, well into the 1990s.[ citation needed ][ original research? ]

Singapore

Wimpy opened its first Singaporean location in 1980, in Choa Chu Kang. It also opened nine other restaurants before closing down in the late 1990s. The Singaporean subsidiary also operated branches in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Thailand

Wimpy had several locations in major Thai cities such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai but these stores closed down in 2005.

South America

Colombia

In Colombia, Wimpy was established in 1976, being one of the first international fast food chains operating in the country. 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. [67]

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. [68]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamburger</span> Culinary dish consisting of a beef patty between rounded buns

A hamburger, or simply a burger, is a dish consisting of fillings—usually a patty of ground meat, typically beef—placed inside a sliced bun or bread roll. The patties are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, or chilis with condiments such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish or a "special sauce", often a variation of Thousand Island dressing, and are frequently placed on sesame seed buns. A hamburger patty topped with cheese is called a cheeseburger. Under some definitions, and in some cultures, a burger is considered a sandwich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fast-food restaurant</span> Type of restaurant

A fast-food restaurant, also known as a quick-service restaurant (QSR) within the industry, is a specific type of restaurant that serves fast-food cuisine and has minimal table service. The food served in fast-food restaurants is typically part of a "meat-sweet diet", offered from a limited menu, cooked in bulk in advance and kept hot, finished and packaged to order, and usually available for take away, though seating may be provided. Fast-food restaurants are typically part of a restaurant chain or franchise operation that provides standardized ingredients and/or partially prepared foods and supplies to each restaurant through controlled supply channels. The term "fast food" was recognized in a dictionary by Merriam–Webster in 1951.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hardee's</span> American-based fast-food restaurant chain

Hardee's Restaurants LLC is an American fast-food restaurant chain operated by CKE Restaurants Holdings, Inc. ("CKE") with locations primarily in the Southern and Midwestern United States. The company has evolved through several corporate ownerships since its establishment in 1960 in North Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A&W Restaurants</span> American fast food chain

A&W Restaurants, Inc. is an American fast food restaurant chain distinguished by its "Burger Family" combos, draft root beer and root beer floats. The oldest extant restaurant chain in the United States, A&W's origins date back to 1919 when Roy W. Allen set up a roadside drink stand to offer a new thick and creamy drink, root beer, at a parade honoring returning World War I veterans in Lodi, California. Allen's employee Frank Wright partnered with him in 1922 and they founded their first restaurant in Sacramento, California, in 1923. The company name was taken from the initials of their last names – Allen and Wright. The company became famous in the United States for its "frosty mugs" – the mugs were kept in a freezer and filled with A&W Root Beer just before being served to customers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Castle (restaurant)</span> American fast food restaurant chain

White Castle is an American regional hamburger restaurant chain with about 345 locations across 13 states, with its greatest presence in the Midwest and New York metropolitan area. Founded on September 13, 1921, in Wichita, Kansas, White Castle has been generally credited as the world's first fast-food hamburger chain. It is known for its small, square hamburgers commonly referred to as "sliders". The burgers were initially priced at five cents until 1929 and remained at 10 cents until 1949. In the 1940s, White Castle periodically ran promotional ads in local newspapers which contained coupons offering five burgers for ten cents, takeout only. In 2014, Time named the White Castle slider "The Most Influential Burger of All Time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fatburger</span> American restaurant chain

Fatburger North America Inc. is an American fast casual restaurant chain owned by FAT Brands. Its tagline is The Last Great Hamburger Stand. While it is a fast-food restaurant, the food is cooked and made to order. Some Fatburger restaurants have liquor licenses as well as "fat bars". Its franchise headquarters are located in Beverly Hills, California. In addition to the United States, the chain operates in 19 other countries. The Fatburger menu is centered primarily on hamburgers, offering various sizes and numbers of patties, along with add-ons such as cheese, bacon and eggs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burger Chef</span> Defunct American fast food restaurant chain

Burger Chef was an American fast-food restaurant chain. It began operating in 1954 in Indianapolis, Indiana, expanded throughout the United States, and at its peak in 1973 had 1,050 locations, including some in Canada. The chain featured several signature items, such as the Big Chef and Super Chef hamburgers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot 'n Now</span> Fast food restaurant

Hot 'n Now is an American fast-food restaurant based in Holt, Michigan. Founded in 1984, the chain once grew to more than 150 locations throughout the United States at its peak. Subsequently, under the ownership of PepsiCo, the chain filed for bankruptcy in 2004, and was then sold to STEN Corporation. As of April 2024, the company operates 1 location in Michigan. The majority of the chain's locations focused entirely on drive-thru service, featuring a small-footprint building with a tall, slanted roof style. Some previous locations were more traditional fast-food locations, complete with seating, and others were combined with gas stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Five Guys</span> American fast food chain

Five Guys Enterprises, LLC is an American fast food chain focused on hamburgers, hot dogs, and french fries. It is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuddruckers</span> American hamburger restaurant chain

Fuddruckers is an American fast casual, franchised restaurant chain that specializes in hamburgers. The Fuddruckers concept is to offer large hamburgers in which the meat is ground on-site and buns are baked on the premises. As of 2019, Fuddruckers had 49 company-operated restaurants and 107 franchises across the United States and around the world. The company headquarters is in Houston, Texas. On September 8, 2020, Fuddruckers owner Luby's, Inc. announced that they planned to liquidate existing assets, including Fuddruckers' assets, distributing the proceeds to investors after the proposed sale of the chains. On June 21, 2021, Black Titan Franchise Systems announced a deal to acquire Fuddruckers for $18.5 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Druther's</span> American fast food restaurant

Druther's is a restaurant, formerly a chain of fast food restaurants that began as Burger Queen restaurants started in Winter Haven, Florida in 1956, and then based in Louisville, Kentucky from 1963 until 1981. The name was a play on the word "druthers", and the mascot was a giant female bee named Queenie Bee. In 1981, Burger Queen changed to Druther's restaurants, although the changes were mostly cosmetic. One reason given for the name change was to eliminate the perception that they specialized in only hamburgers when they also had fried chicken and a serve-yourself salad bar. Druther's featured a character named "Andy Dandytale" on its kids meal items. The chain's slogan was "I'd Ruther Go to Druther's Restaurant." As of April 2024, the company operates 1 location in Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IHOP</span> American restaurant chain

IHOP Restaurants LLC is an American multinational pancake house restaurant chain that specializes in American breakfast foods. It is owned by Dine Brands—a company formed after IHOP's purchase of Applebee's, with 99% of the restaurants run by independent franchisees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the hamburger</span>

Evidence suggests that the United States was the first country where two slices of bread and a ground beef patty were combined into a "hamburger sandwich" and sold. There is some controversy over the origin of the hamburger because its two basic ingredients, bread and beef, have been prepared and consumed separately for many years in many countries before their combination. Shortly after its creation, the hamburger quickly included all of its currently typically characteristic trimmings, including onions, lettuce, and sliced pickles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl's Jr.</span> American multinational fast food chain

Carl's Jr. Restaurants LLC is an American fast-food restaurant chain owned by CKE Restaurant Holdings, Inc., who also owns Hardee's, with franchisees in North and South America, Asia, Oceania, Europe, and Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Habit Burger & Grill</span> American fast casual restaurant chain

Habit Burger & Grill is a California-based fast casual restaurant chain that specializes in chargrilled hamburgers. The company also sells other typical fast-casual fare. It was founded in 1969 at Santa Barbara, California, and its headquarters are in Irvine, California.

References

  1. ↑ Castelow, Ellen. "Food in Britain in the 1950s and 1960s". Historic UK. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Lazarus, George (28 July 1978). "Wimpy's for sale; is there 2d Ray Kroc?" . Chicago Tribune . p. D9. ProQuest   171741730 . Retrieved 28 February 2015.
  3. ↑ Pickering, Jasper (13 January 2018). "We ate at Wimpy — the UK's forgotten fast food chain that was almost wiped out by McDonald's". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 5 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 "All Wimpy Restaurants". wimpy.co.za. Archived from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  5. ↑ "Wimpy UK". wimpy.uk.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  6. ↑ Mullan, Laura (17 May 2020). "Wimpy planning a comeback with UK expansion plan | Franchising". Food Digital. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  7. ↑ "Wimpy planning UK expansion". The Caterer. 23 October 2017. Archived from the original on 14 November 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  8. ↑ "Kennedy Ignores Flap Over Book: Edward V. Gold". Eugene Register-Guard . 16 October 1977. p. 6c. Retrieved 27 March 2020– via Google News.
  9. ↑ Hoekstra, Dave (25 July 2004). "Pseudosliders" . Chicago Sun-Times . p. 11. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015. Wimpy's, throughout the Midwest: Inspired by the Popeye's comic strip, J. Wellington Wimpy was a tubby character who always promised to "gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." Wimpy's started in 1934 in Bloomington, Ind., and even had outlets in Chicago's Loop. Founder Ed Gold died in 1978 while working in his Chicago outlet; his will stipulated that all his restaurants be permanently closed upon his death. That's moxie, not wimpy.
  10. ↑ "Restaurant Chain Enters Chicago with First Unit" . Chicago Daily Tribune . 17 November 1935. p. 20. ProQuest   181720563 . Retrieved 23 July 2015. Edward Gold, president of Wimpy Grills, Inc., operating restaurant units in five cities in the middle west, has leased for ten years the unimproved land at 117 East Chicago avenue... has started construction of the first of a chain of Chicago eating places.
  11. ↑ "Restaurant Chain Leases Loop Site for New Building" . Chicago Tribune. 20 April 1947. p. 3–B. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  12. 1 2 "Edward V. Gold, 'Wimpy' Entrepreneur" . Washington Post . 17 October 1977. p. C6. ProQuest   146765919. Archived from the original on 10 December 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  13. 1 2 "Edward V. Gold, 70, the Founder Of the Wimpy's Restaurant Chain" . New York Times . 16 October 1977. p. 42. ProQuest   123495723. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
  14. ↑ "Restaurant Chain Formed" . New York Times . 5 April 1957. p. 50. ProQuest   114034350. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  15. 1 2 "Wimpy Moments". Archived from the original on 28 March 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  16. 1 2 3 Buchwald, Art (5 June 1955). "Europe's Culture Falls to Hot Dog" . Washington Post . p. E3. ProQuest   148715812. Archived from the original on 22 April 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2017. We received a bulletin announcing Lyons Corner House, Ltd., the backbone of Great Britain's gastronimic empire, had opened a "Wimpy's Hamburger Parlor," right plumb in the center of Coventry st.
  17. ↑ Roberts, Michele (15 March 2012). Paper Houses: A Memoir of the 70s and Beyond. Hachette UK. p. 37. ISBN   9781405516563. Archived from the original on 19 February 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2017– via Google Books.
  18. ↑ Sandbrook, Dominic (9 April 2013). "What if Margaret Thatcher had never been?". BBC News . Archived from the original on 8 June 2013. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  19. ↑ "Lyons Sell Last Of Wimpy". The Glasgow Herald . 9 July 1977. p. 11. Retrieved 27 March 2020– via Google News.
  20. ↑ Wimpy UK The world famous Mr Wimpy makes his debut in Brighton! Archived 6 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ↑ Conrad Lashley, Alison Morrison In Search of Hospitality 2013 "The Wimpy fast food chain coined its name from J Wellington Wimpy, the dumpy hamburger guzzling character in the Popeye cartoon strip. Wimpy use Mr Wimpy, an exaggerated beefeater figure, to advertise and promote their product "
  22. ↑ "Burger King swallows Wimpy". The Herald (Glasgow) . 8 August 1989. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  23. ↑ "Grand Met To Sell Part Of British Wimpy Chain". Chicago Tribune . 7 February 1990. Archived from the original on 22 July 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  24. ↑ Acland, Holly (14 October 1999). "Wimpy rolls out Dr Beaks chain to take on KFC in fast food". campaignlive.co.uk. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
  25. ↑ Mills, Lauren (26 May 2002). "Wimpy on buyout menu for £20m". Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 26 July 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  26. ↑ "Restaurant Locator". Wimpy UK. Archived from the original on 7 September 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  27. ↑ MacInnes, Paul (31 January 2002). "Lunch is for Wimpys: There's no longer one on every high street but the original British burger chain is still serving Big Benders - and making a comeback". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  28. 1 2 Clark, Ashley (29 April 2014). "The Slow Death of Wimpy, a British Institution". Vice . Archived from the original on 11 December 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
  29. ↑ West, Edward (28 February 2007). "South Africa: Famous Brands Bites Off 75 Percent of Wimpy UK". AllAfrica.com .
  30. ↑ Golding, Amy (24 November 2009). "Wimpy to restyle its burger bars as American-style diners" . Marketing Magazine . Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  31. ↑ "All Wimpy locations". Wimpy UK. Archived from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  32. ↑ Time Magazine, Once More, Terror in the Streets
  33. ↑ Tassiopoulos, Dimitri (2008). New Tourism Ventures: An Entrepreneurial and Managerial Approach. Juta and Company Ltd. pp. 92–93. ISBN   9780702177262 – via Google Books.
  34. ↑ Maas, Carié (2013). From Corner Café to JSE Giant: The Famous Brands Story. Tafelberg. pp. 162–163. ISBN   9780624056799 – via Google Books.[ permanent dead link ]
  35. ↑ "Steers buys Pleasure Foods". Fin24. 19 August 2003. Archived from the original on 22 July 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  36. ↑ Vallie, Annaleigh (12 October 2011). "Wimpy helps Famous Brands reach 2000 milestone". Business Day (South Africa) . Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  37. ↑ Stephens, Melodena; Michael, Ian; Moonesar, Immanuel Azaad (2013). "Americana Group". East Meets West. Emerald Group Publishing. p. 130. ISBN   9781781904138 – via Google Books.
  38. ↑ "PROMOTED: Wimpy Rebrands and Relaunches". 2:48AM. 4 January 2022. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  39. 1 2 "Locations". Wimpy Middle East. Americana Group. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  40. ↑ Emam, Ahmed (7 May 2021). "Wimpy Burger restaurant coming back to Egypt". Sada El balad. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  41. ↑ "Wimpy Returns to Egypt to Regain Its Glorious Old Days". Think Marketing. 10 May 2021. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  42. ↑ Narwani, Deepa (15 December 2022). "Americana Restaurants brings Wimpy back to the UAE, now with robot staff". Caterer Middle East. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  43. ↑ "UAE fast food: Wimpy returns to Dubai with robot chef". Arabian Business . 15 December 2022. Archived from the original on 7 March 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  44. ↑ Väliaho, Tuomo (5 March 2023). "Tällainen oli Suomen ensimmäinen hampurilaisketju - Taru ei kestänyt kauan" [This was Finland's first hamburger chain - Taru didn't last long]. Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Archived from the original on 5 March 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  45. 1 2 3 "Il y a 50 ans, le premier restaurant de hamburgers en France" [50 years ago, the first hamburger restaurant in France]. La Dépêche (in French). 29 May 2011. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
  46. ↑ "Anniversaire Le premier restaurant de hamburger à Paris, c'était il y a cinquante ans: "Wimpy", fast-food éphémère" [Anniversary of the first hamburger restaurant in Paris, it was fifty years ago: "Wimpy", fast food on this day]. L'Est Républicain (in French). 30 May 2011. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  47. ↑ "France: The Snack v. La Grande Cuisine" . Time . 6 May 1966. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015. 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. But gradually the idea of "a complete meal on a round bun" caught on. Now Borel serves 60,000 meals a day in Paris, and sales will run to $15 million or $16 million this year. Next week Borel will open his first Wimpy outside Paris in Lille, and then he moves on to the gastronomic bastion of Lyon. By the end of the year there will also be Wimpys in Nice, Bordeaux, Toulouse and Marseille, as well as five more in Paris.
  48. ↑ "Wimpy en France, en avance sur son temps?" [Wimpy in France, ahead of its time?]. ou-dejeuner (in French). 2 June 2011. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  49. ↑ "Old Adverts #52 – Wimpy, Dorset St, Dublin with Phil Lynott, 1968 – Brand New Retro". Archived from the original on 9 November 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  50. ↑ "Wimpy International Ltd". Caterer Search. Archived from the original on 11 February 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2008.
  51. 1 2 "Petrogas Annual report 2010" (PDF). Petrogas. 14 February 2011. p. 16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2015. During the year the Group decided to terminate its master franchise agreement with the Wimpy fast food brand.
  52. ↑ "The week in the community: May 30 – June 5, 1966" (PDF). Opera Mundi - Europe. No. 360. 9 June 1966. p. K. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 February 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2019– via University of Pittsburgh.
  53. ↑ "Albert Heijn door de jaren heen: de 20e eeuw" [Albert Heijn through the years: The 20th century]. Albert Heijn (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 7 February 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  54. ↑ "Activiteiten die werden gestopt" [Activities that were stopped]. Personeelsbladen (in Dutch). No. 29. 1 May 1987. p. 32. Retrieved 10 September 2019– via Stichting Albert Heijn Erfgoed.
  55. ↑ "De eerste McDonalds van Europa stond in Zaandam" [The first McDonalds in Europe was in Zaandam]. De Orkaan (in Dutch). 4 February 2017. Archived from the original on 22 January 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  56. 1 2 "Ketten-Restaurants: Gold am Löffel" [Chain Restaurants: Gold on Spoon]. Der Spiegel (in German). No. 43. 21 October 1964. pp. 68, 70. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  57. 1 2 Heinzelmann, Ursula (2014). Beyond Bratwurst: A History of Food in Germany. Reaktion Books. ISBN   9781780233024 – via Google Books.
  58. ↑ "First Wimpy Bar Open Here Soon". Sydney Morning Herald. 7 August 1963. p. 12.
  59. ↑ "First Wimpy Bar Open Here Soon". The Age . 7 August 1964. p. 11. Retrieved 27 March 2020– via Google News.
  60. 1 2 Doudle, Chris & Baldwin, Karen (2006). State of Mind: The Success Secrets of 50 South Australian Entrepreneurs. Wakefield Press. p. 35. ISBN   1862546843.
  61. ↑ Mihaka, Kelly (15 May 2008). "Rotorua icon Wimpy for sale". Rotorua Daily Post. Archived from the original on 10 August 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  62. ↑ Mathai, Palakunnathu G. (10 January 2014). "Wimpy Fast Foods gets embroiled in legal battle involving charges of cheating, forgery". India Today . Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  63. 1 2 Rosenthal, Rubik (2007). הלקסיקון של החיים: שפות במרחב הישראלי [Lexicon of Life: Languages in Israel] (in Hebrew). Jerusalem: Keter. p. 118. ISBN   9789650715618 – via Google Books. וימפי המבורגר ישראלי משנות השישים, מבשר הפריצה המקדונאלדית [Wimpy Israeli hamburger from the sixties, the harbinger of the Macedonian breakthrough]
  64. 1 2 Segev, Tom. 1967 :והארץ שינתה את פניה[1967: The country changed its face] (in Hebrew). Jerusalem: Keter. p. 44. ׳וימפי׳ פתחה בארץ עוד ועוד סניפים, חברה בריטית לממכר המבורגרים שלא הצטיינו אמנם באיכותם, אך יחד עם משקה ה׳סנפרש׳ גם הם כמו שייכו את ישראל אל העולם הגדול. [Wimpy has opened more and more branches in the country, a British company that sells burgers that did not excel in quality, but together with the "Sanferash" drink, they also seem to belong to Israel in the big world.]
  65. ↑ ""וימפי־ישראל" פותחת מזנון במרכז טהרן" [Wimpy Israel opens a buffet in central Tehran]. Ma'ariv (in Hebrew). 27 July 1970. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  66. ↑ "???". Otot [Signal] (in Hebrew) (209–214). Israel Association of Advertisers: 55. 1998. ״בשנות השבעים המוקדמות השם המבורגר׳ הוכפש על ידי המתחרה, וימפי, שהוציאה שם רע להמבורגר בגלל סניטציה, הגיינה וטעם לקויים. המבורגר, באותה תקופה, היה בן חורג של הפאסט פוד הלגיטימי, הפלאפל, והוא ניסה לפלס את דרכו ללא הצלחה.״ [In the early 1970s, the name hamburger was tarnished by its competitor, Wimpy, which gave the hamburger a bad name because of its poor sanitation, hygiene and taste. The burger, at the time, was a stepson of the legitimate fast food, falafel, and he tried unsuccessfully.]
  67. ↑ "WIMPY Historia" [WIMPY History]. Wimpy Colombiana (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 7 October 2002.
  68. ↑ "Presto se quedó con Wimpy Colombiana" [Presto stayed with Wimpy Colombiana]. El Tiempo (in Spanish). 24 September 2008. Archived from the original on 5 November 2020. Retrieved 2 November 2020.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Wimpy at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.