A WAVE of American fast-food chains is set to open new locations across the UK this year, much to the delight of diners.
In recent years, UK customers have already embraced favourites like Wendy’s and Shake Shack.
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But now a total of eight 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, KFC and Burger King” by customers.
The Sun has rounded up all the fast food chains opening locations, which you can check out below.
Denny’s
Iconic American diner chain Denny’s is gearing up for a major expansion in the UK, with plans to sell its master franchise for the territory.
Specialist advisory firm FRP Corporate Finance has been appointed to oversee the process and identify potential partners to help grow the historic restaurant brand, which operates nearly 1,500 diners worldwide.
As part of the sale, FRP is also marketing Denny’s proof-of-concept restaurant in Swansea, which opened in 2017 at Parc Tawe.
Founded in 1953, Denny’s operates in 15 countries, with over 1,300 restaurants across North America alone.
Denny’s is best known for its all-day breakfast menu, including signature items like fluffy pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausages.
It’s also popular for hearty comfort foods such as burgers and milkshakes.
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A opened its first of five restaurants in the UK in January.
Two restaurants opened their doors to customers in Northern Ireland earlier this year, in Lisburn and Templepatrick, as the chain renews its efforts to break into the UK market.
Chick-fil-A, famous for its chicken sandwiches and waffle fries, has announced plans to open a restaurant in Leeds later this year as part of a £74million expansion.
The chain is also set to open locations in Liverpool and London next.
Chick-fil-A’s last effort in Britain ended in controversy.
A pop-up in Reading in 2019 was forced to shut down after just six months following protests from LGBTQ+ activists over historic comments made by members of the company’s founding family.
A second temporary site in Aviemore, Scotland, also faced a backlash and closed in January 2020 after more than 1,000 people signed a petition against its presence.
At the time, the firm stressed it did not have “a social or political agenda”, but the protests overshadowed its launch and led to its retreat from the UK market.
Despite this, the brand, founded in Atlanta in 1967, has continued to expand across North America and is now turning its attention back to Europe.
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 opened at least 10 new locations in the first half of the year.
These included 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 launched its first UK location in Cardiff this April, with space to serve up to 50 customers at a time.
The restaurant is operated by the Boparan Restaurant Group, which is set to open a second location in Swansea on September 4.
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.”
Dave’s Hot Chicken
Dave’s Hot Chicken has partnered with Azzurri Group, the company behind ASK, Zizzi, and Boojum, to open 180 restaurants across Europe, including in Portugal, Spain, and Germany.
Azzurri, which runs the UK and Ireland franchise, also plans to open another 57 Dave’s restaurants in Britain.
Its first UK location on Shaftesbury Avenue in London has been a huge success, attracting over 1,000 customers a day since opening in December.
The chain has already expanded to Manchester and Birmingham, with more openings planned.
Azzurri’s chief executive, Steve Holmes, called Dave’s “a once-in-a-generation brand” set for global success.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is known in the US for its jumbo hot chicken sliders, tenders, and bites.
The brand also offers sides like house-made kale slaw, creamy mac and cheese, and crispy, seasoned french fries.
The chain’s chicken is available in seven spice levels, from no spice to reaper, the latter of which requires a signed waiver due to its intense heat.
We got an exclusive first taste of Dave’s UK menu before its debut store opened last year.
Velvet Taco
Tex-Mex brand Velvet Taco will make its UK at London’s Broadgate Circle in Liverpool Street within weeks.
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.
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.
