Wimpy restaurants gear up for £3m change of image

Wimpy restaurants, founded in the 1950s, will soon be serving up beer, wine and caffè lattes alongside their usual burgers and knickerbocker glories under plans for a £3m makeover of the chain.

Wimpy International, which owns eight of the 300-odd branches in the UK and franchises out the rest, has been working on the change of image for the past two years.

Innovations include new signs and logos with a more modern feel, new uniforms and redesigned restaurant interiors. The range of hot drinks has been extended to include cappuccino, espresso, caffè latte and Earl Grey tea, and suitable sites will be encouraged to apply for beer and wine licences.

Marketing director Katherine Young said: "Over the last five years most of our growth has come from our counter-service Wimpy Express concept.

"The brand name has got huge consumer awareness, but we haven't revamped it for quite a long time. We needed to make it more modern, brighter, more welcoming and more competitive on the high street."