A RAFT of American fast food chains are planning to open sites in the UK this year, much to the delight of diners.
In the past few years, customers have already welcomed the likes of Wendy’s and Shake Shack from across the pond.
A number of American brands are plotting to open restaurants in the UK[/caption]
But now a total of seven US fast food diners are plotting a major expansion in the UK.
Better yet, some of these restaurants have been rated “better than McDonald’s and Burger King” by customers.
The Sun has rounded up all the fast food chains opening locations, which you can check out below.
CHICK-FIL-A
Chick-fil-A opened the first of five restaurants in the UK last month.
The famous fried chicken brand revealed exclusively to The Sun in September that it would launch in Northern Ireland, Leeds, Liverpool, and London.
The chain briefly touched down with a temporary pop-up in Reading back in 2019.
The restaurant opened inside an Applegreen service station in Lisburn, County Antrim, on the Lisburn South motorway.
The petrol station provider already has a partnership with Chick-fil-A restaurants in the US.
A second site in Applegreen Templepatrick, Antrim, will open soon after in March.
WINGSTOP
Wingstop, which currently has 57 sites across the UK, has revealed plans to open 20 more sites this year.
The expansion plans come a month after Wingstop’s UK arm was taken over by a US private equity company for more than £400million.
US firm Sixth Street struck a deal to buy a majority stake in Wingstop UK’s master franchisee, with plans to grow the business further.
Wingstop UK said at least 10 new locations will open in the first half of the year.
These will include dine-in restaurants in Swansea, Newcastle, Lakeside shopping centre in Essex, Streatham in south London and Cardigan Fields in Leeds.
The business opened 18 new locations last year, including its largest site, at Westfield Stratford in east London.
CARLS JR
Carl’s Jr will open its first site in the UK come April.
The site, which will cater for 50 customers at a time, is being launched by the Boparan Restaurant Group.
The branch is opening inside the St David’s Shopping Centre.
David Moffat, country manager, said: “We’re thrilled to bring this iconic brand to Cardiff, our first location in the UK.
“Carl’s Jr has a reputation for delivering high-quality, crave-worthy food that stands out in the burger market.
It has garnered a massive following across the world too, with customers preferring it to some other major chains.
Posting on Reddit, one branded the fast food giant “better than most, including McDonald’s and Burger King“.
Another said: “The Western Bacon Cheeseburger is undefeated.”
CHUCK E CHEESE
Family entertainment and dining centre Chuck E Cheese is reportedly planning to launch six branches across England and Scotland.
Milton Keyes, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, and Bristol have all been named as areas where the Texas-based business is keen to launch.
A number of reports have said the iconic chain is keen to capitalise on a growing appetite in the UK for redemption games – which sees customers play games to win tickets that can be exchanged for prizes.
This concept is what Chuck E Cheese is known for, with the spot being a popular location in America for children’s birthday parties.
Children can play on a range of jungle gyms and arcade games and the face of the brand is a giant mouse.
A spokesperson previously told The Sun: “We are actively expanding the Chuck E Cheese brand internationally, with Europe, including the UK, as a key target market.
“While there is nothing specific to announce currently, we are excited to see our intellectual property resonate globally as we continue to gauge interest from potential franchise partners worldwide.”
DAVES HOT CHICKEN
Dave’s Hot Chicken opened its first-ever British restaurant on Shaftesbury Avenue, London on December 7.
The site serves up dishes including the chain’s signature chicken tenders, seasoned French fries and jumbo sliders.
How to save money eating out
THERE are a number of ways that you can save money when eating out. Here’s how:
Discount codes – Check sites like Sun Vouchers or VoucherCodes for any discount codes you can use to get money off your order.
Tastecard – This is a members club where you pay to have access to discounts worth up to 50 per cent off at thousands of restaurants. It costs £4.99 a month or £34.99 for the year.
Loyalty schemes – Some restaurants will reward you with discounts or a free meal if you register with their loyalty scheme, such as Nando’s where you can collect a stamp with every visit. Some chains like Pizza Express will send you discounts for special occasions, such as your birthday, if you sign up to their newsletter.
Voucher schemes – Look out for voucher schemes offered by third party firms, such as Meerkat Meals. If you compare and buy a product through CompareTheMarket.com then you’ll be rewarded with access to the discount scheme. You’ll get 2 for 1 meals at certain restaurants through Sunday to Thursday.
Student discounts – If you’re in full-time education or a member of the National Students Union then you may be able to get a discount of up to 15 per cent off the bill. It’s always worth asking before you place your order.
To accompany the mains, there is also a range of sides and condiments on offer – including kale slaw, pickles, Dave’s speciality sauce and mac and cheese.
And, you can order your chicken in any of six different spice levels – from no spice all the way through to extra hot.
The brand famed for its spicy chicken burgers has plans to open 60 restaurants across the UK and Ireland over the coming years.
VELVET TACO
Tex-Mex brand Velvet Taco will make its UK debut next spring.
As part of a new franchise agreement with Velvet UK, the brand will be opening its first restaurant in Piccadilly Circus, London.
The diner has also confirmed opening more UK sites in the coming years.
The taco brand was first launched in Dallas, Texas, in 2011 and now operates out of nearly 50 restaurants across the US.
The brand’s signature dishes include its spicy tikka chicken taco with tenders, house-made tikka sauce, buttered coriander basmati rice, raita crema, and Thai basil.
Another favourite is the London-inspired fish and chips taco, which includes beer-battered cod, curry aioli, fried vinegar, and Napa slaw.
It also offers a WTF (weekly taco feature), where a new special is featured on the menu each week, along with sides like red curry coconut queso dip and elite guac.
POPEYES
Popeyes already opened 33 locations in the UK last year and it’s one of the fastest-growing chicken brands in the quick-service market.
The fast food joint, which is famous for its Louisiana-style chicken burgers and tenders, first came to the UK in 2021, opening a site in Westfield shopping centre in Stratford.
It now plans to expand its presence in cities including Birmingham, Leeds and Bristol as well as opening further locations in Manchester, Liverpool, London and Scotland.
Alongside opening dine-in restaurants, the brand said it has plans to open drive-thru locations and delivery kitchens, which will be just for takeaway orders.
It will open a total of 45 sites across the UK this year.
