The Counter, the US-based burger concept, has confirmed it will make its debut in the UK this year, as part of a wider £20m expansion investment here to be spread over the next five years.
As revealed by MCA in January, the concept will make its UK debut at The Quay in Glasgow. At the same time, it plans to open fast-casual sister concept BUILT in Ilford.
Property management company Daniel Johns has acquired the franchise rights to expand both concepts across England and Scotland. There is already a The Counter site operating in Dublin.
The Counter was launched in Los Angeles in 2003 and BUILT was launched by the group in 2013.
The UK launch will kickstart a wider £20m UK expansion investment to be spread over the next five years.
Daniel Johns said the investment, which includes the purchase of the franchise rights, will see it add around 20 outlets.
The Counter currently operates 40 sites globally, including 31 in the US.
Khalid Iqbal, director of Daniel Johns, said: “Glasgow and London are the first of several locations planned for UK and we can’t wait to bring The Counter and BUILT to other parts of the country.
“We were attracted to The Counter and BUILT because of its commitment to delivering the very best experiences in both taste and service and attracting an enthusiastic clientele of burger lovers —a phenomenon that we aim to replicate in Glasgow and London.”
Jeff Weinstein, founder and co-chief executive of The Counter, said: “We opened The Counter 14 years ago in Los Angeles with a goal to challenge the way people think about burgers. Since opening in 2003, we’ve grown to more than 40 US locations and internationally, expanded our menu offerings, honed our operating model and now, we’re excited about bringing our new burger experience to the UK.”
