Could Wimpy be returning to Shrewsbury town centre?

Wimpy, which used to have outlets in Shoplatch and on Pride Hill, could be moving back in to the town more than a decade after it shut up shop.

It joins Hotel Chocolat, The Little Dessert Shop and the rumoured Pret A Manger in coming to the town, giving it a pre-Christmas boost.

The company was forced to close the majority of its restaurants following strong competition from McDonald’s and Burger King.

But now franchisee Ali Riza Akyuz, of Shrewsbury, has applied to Shropshire Council for permission to transform a former charity shop on Claremont Street into a fast food restaurant and takeaway.

The vacant shop is between Claremont News and Major’s clothing store, which is the oldest retail business in Shrewsbury having been established in 1874.

The multinational company once had hundreds of outlets across the county but this has dwindled to around 80 and news of the application comes less than a year after McDonald’s pulled out of the town.

Many had hoped that the popular fast food chain would return to Shrewsbury and it seems that it could become reality.

The casual dining chain was born over 60 years ago and was most popular throughout the 70s.

Dedicated fans will remember biting into one of their famous ‘bender in a bun’ burgers.

In its heyday there were more than 500 outlets and now the company have announced plans for ‘expansion and investment’ in the near future.

A spokesman for Wimpy UK has confirmed the chain has submitted a planning application to the council, but says it is “too early days” to speculate further.

“We would very much welcome the opportunity to open a new Wimpy in Shrewsbury, however we appreciate that our application has to go through the relevant stages for approval and, until then, we cannot provide any other details,” said a spokesman.

Wimpy, which was the first hamburger restaurant in the UK, continues to identify new locations and attract new franchisees to join the Wimpy family.

The spokesman confirmed that if approved and plans go ahead, the new Wimpy restaurant would be a return for the brand in Shropshire.

Clive Spencer, of Spencer Architecture LTD acting as agent for Mr Akyuz said that the restaurant would take a number of months to open if planning permission is granted due to the ‘high-tech specification’ required by his client.

The first Wimpy Bar opened at the Lyon’s Corner House on Coventry Street, London. The bar was originally a specialist fast-food section within the more traditional Corner House restaurant. Its popularity soon led to the establishment of separate Wimpy restaurants serving only hamburger-based meals.

By 1970, Wimpy breakfasts and burgers grew in success and expanded to over 1,000 restaurants in 23 countries.

The application will now go before Shropshire Council’s planning department for approval.