Five Guys, the popular US burger chain, has lined up a further three openings of for the start of next year, as it looks to open up to 30 new sites in the UK over the next 12 months, M&C Report understands.
The group, which earlier this month opened its third UK site in Upper Street, Islington, is believed to be close to securing sites in Guildford and Kingston to join a further opening lined up for Lakeside, Essex, next year. The company is also believed to be look at locations in Croydon as it looks to strengthen its presence in the south east.
It is thought to have offers on eight to 10 locations at the moment.
The group’s new head of property Neville Maling told M&C Report at the start of this month that the new openings would be 50% based inside the M25 and the South East and the remaining 50% in the regions, with plans to open in clusters around places such as Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield.
He said: “30 is the ambition. We are looking at sites of between 2,500-5,000sq ft, with 3,000sq ft the ideal size for us.”
Maling said that he expects the group’s fourth opening to take place early next year, with a couple of sites in the South East vying to “get over the line first”.
He said that further expansion in the regions – “above Manchester” would be looked at in 2015.
