Full list of US fast food chains coming to the UK to rival McDonald’s including burger joint with 3,000 locations
SEVERAL American fast food chains have revealed their plans to open new stores in the UK.
After Dave’s Hot Chicken, Chick-fil-A, and Popeyes, the latest US chain set to rival McDonald’s in Britain and Ireland is Carl’s Jr.
The American company, which has over 1,000 locations in the US and 3,100 worldwide, offers an assortment of chicken dishes, burgers, and breakfast sandwiches.
The fast food brand was founded by Carl Karcher in Southern California in 1941 and can now be found in 35 countries.
In Europe, Carl’s Jr already has stores in Spain, France, Denmark, Turkey, and Switzerland.
The chain has now partnered up with Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), which owns multiple franchises including Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Slim Chickens, to launch in the UK and Ireland.
At the time, there is no set date for opening and the company has not confirmed the locations where restaurants will be.
Satnam Leihal, CEO of BRG, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership: “Carl’s Jr.’s international success is a testament to its fantastic food quality and innovative approach.
“We are excited to bring the ‘Eat Like You Mean It’ experience, born in California, to the UK.
“This partnership aligns perfectly with our commitment to delivering exceptional dining experiences.
“We are eager to introduce Carl’s Jr. to the UK and Irish markets.”
Following the latest announcement, we have looked at some of the most popular US fast food chains that have already established themselves in the UK, and others that have announced plans to open new stores.
Dave’s Hot Chicken
Earlier this month, Dave’s Hot Chicken announced plans to open 60 restaurants across the UK and Ireland.
The brand, known for its jumbo hot chicken sliders, tenders, and bites, partnered with Azzurri Group to spearhead its UK rollout.
The first restaurant is set to open in London in the first quarter of 2025.
Steve Holmes, chief executive of Azzurri Group, said: “When we first tried Dave’s Hot Chicken we were blown away as it makes some of the most craveable and delicious food we’ve ever had.
“We’re excited to bring this incredible brand to the UK and to be their partner in this ambitious roll-out.”
Bill Phelps, chief executive of Dave’s Hot Chicken, added: “The flavour of Dave’s Hot Chicken resonates across borders, and we’re looking forward to the first UK store getting open soon.”
Chick-fil-A
Fried chicken restaurant chain Chick-fil-A has confirmed it has plans to open new branches across the country.
The retailer is set to open its first store in early 2025 and then up to five in the following two years.
While the exact menu hasn’t yet been confirmed by Chick-fil-A, it has said it will be bringing popular items from across the pond.
These include the original Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, freshly made salads and nuggets that are hand-breaded throughout the day.
Chick-fil-A opened its first store in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1967.
It now has 2,800 restaurants across the US, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Anita Costello, regional director at Chick-fil-A said: “We are excited our restaurants will bring new jobs and opportunities throughout the UK.
“Serving communities is at the heart of everything we do at Chick-fil-A, and our unique operator model provides one of a kind access to entrepreneurial opportunities.”
She added: “We look forward to sharing our authentic Chick-fil-A experience: providing fresh food prepared with high-quality ingredients, served with our signature hospitality.”
Popeyes
Popeyes came across the pond in 2021 and has proved to be a hit with ravenous customers ever since.
They see 125,000 of their iconic Shatter Crunch Chicken Sandwiches cooked and enjoyed by satisfied customers each week.
Last month, the company announced it would be opening its 50th branch – a restaurant in Glasgow.
Within the next few months, the chain will also be cutting the ribbon on their first ever Belfast site, in Northern Ireland.
Plans for several more branches will see 2,000 more jobs created in their local communities, according to the fast-food chain.
Tom Crowley, CEO at Popeyes UK says: “In just 30 months, our remarkable Popeyes UK team has secured a pipeline of 50 top-tier new sites, including our first ever Northern Irish location which opens in Belfast very soon.
“Currently, Popeyes UK is the fastest-growing chicken QSR brand in the UK, with a 125% year-on-year growth from May 2023 to May 2024.
“The sustained demand for Popeyes in the UK is incredible, but not unexpected.
“We’ve seen overnight queues for almost every opening since our UK launch in 2021, with fried chicken fans turning up to queue over 24 hours before the opening of new Popeyes restaurants.
“We remain committed to our expansion plans and look forward to achieving new milestones in the upcoming years.”
Wendy’s
US burger chain Wendy’s, which already has 23 sites in the UK, will cut the ribbon on the new locations this year.
Over the last few years, it has built up a loyal customer base and has opened 30 new restaurants in areas such as Camden, Reading and Brighton.
The American fast-food giant has confirmed it will be serving more foodies across eight new locations in the UK this year, with more on their way.
It was unable to confirm the exact dates of the openings but we will keep readers updated.
Wendy’s will be cutting the ribbon on a new site in Middlesbrough in the coming months.
Then, Liverpool will also welcome its first brick-and-mortar restaurant later this year, following the launch of a delivery kitchen that opened in 2023.
Sheffield is also getting a second restaurant, joining its first high street location which opened in 2022.
Wendy’s franchisee, GH Burgers, will be opening its first restaurant in Wood Green, north London, in 2024.
While another franchisee restaurant is opening in Newcastle too.
Five Guys
Five Guys Burgers and Fries first packed up their tasty menu and took it overseas to London in 2013.
Famous for its hotdogs and hamburgers, the McDonald’s rival has skyrocketed in popularity over the past 10 years.
It boasts over 250,000 possible burger combinations, over 1,000 possible ways to customise a milkshake, and 100 soda flavours on the Coca-Cola Freestyle Machine.
Five Guys now has more than 150 restaurants in the UK.
Its latest openings include restaurants in Barnet, Wembley Park, Croydon Valley Leisure Park, Leeds Trinity, West Hampstead and Liverpool New Mersey.
Shake Shack
Shake Shack has 15 locations in the UK and last month it announced plans to open its first-ever train station restaurant in the country.
The burger giant will open a new restaurant in the busiest train station in the country, St. Pancras International.
The new Shake Shack joint will serve up the brand’s popular menu – including breakfast burgers, crinkle-cut fries and their iconic Shack Meister Ale.
The new eatery will offer exclusive treats for hungry travellers passing through the bustling Eurostar terminal.
The new spot will be the fast food giant’s 16th location in the UK since it was launched in Covent Garden in 2013.
It will be the brand’s second branch within a travel hub – joining the one in Gatwick Airport‘s North Terminal.
While most of Shake Shack’s UK sites are based in London, in recent years bosses have expanded into other locations – including Essex, Oxford and Cardiff.
Wingstop
At the beginning of this year, Wingstop announced it would be opening 15 more restaurants – bringing the total number of locations to 54.
Lemon Pepper Holdings, which runs the fast food chain’s UK portfolio, said the move would create up to 750 jobs.
The US hospitality brand said it is its biggest year of expansion since launching Wingstop in the UK six years ago.
Wingstop is known for selling everything from wings and tenders, to burgers and sides made to order.
Tom Grogan, co-founder of Lemon Pepper Holdings, said 2024 marked the chain’s “biggest ever year of growth”.
“We are proud to be opening across the country and creating up to 750 new jobs,” he added.
“In just five short years as a business, we have certainly made our mark, offering the best-tasting wings in the business alongside an authentic and customised dining experience.
“There is huge momentum, and we are just getting started. We can’t wait for more of the UK to try our delicious food.”
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Meanwhile, McDonald’s confirmed it is bringing back its popular £3 meal deal just in time for the school holidays.
The great value for money offer is returning to the restaurants with all the fan favourites – except a beloved summer dessert.
Starting from July 31, Maccies fans across the UK and Ireland can nab three dishes for a total of just £3, which comes down to just £1 per dish.
If you fancy a perfect lunch pick me up without breaking the bank, the bargain offer has eight food options available to pick from.
However, for those wishing to cool down on a summer day, McFlurry is unfortunately left out of the meal deal.
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