Three further Wimpy restaurants, in Addlestone, Rayleigh, Southend Churchill Square, have signed up for home delivery over the past three weeks, with a further five planning to launch the service soon.
The new opening in Orpington marks the return of Wimpy to the Kent town after a 35-year absence.
“We’re thrilled and delighted to be bringing Wimpy back to Orpington," says joint franchisee Nico Sokoli. "Obviously it won’t be the big grand opening that we had initially planned, but we think providing a takeaway and home delivery service for local people is really important right now."
“In time, we hope to be able to welcome both new and old generations of Wimpy lovers into our brand new restaurant, but until then, we hope they will enjoy what we have to offer from our takeaway counter and via our home delivery partners.”
“Ever since the lockdown was announced, our franchisees have really stepped up to the mark,” says UK General Manager Chris Woolfenden.
“The fact that many of them are family-owned businesses means that they are already working together under one roof and they simply want to make sure they can meet demand and give their customers what they want.
“In addition to takeaways, working with our home delivery partners has been a game changer. It’s clear that consumers are turning to delivery services to brighten up their mealtimes and remind them of the ‘good old days’ by enjoying the brands they love in their own home.”
All Wimpy sites are observing strict social distancing guidelines by limiting the number of people collecting takeaways at any one time and following protocols set up with home delivery partners Deliveroo, JustEat and Uber Eats.
Many Wimpy franchisees have been supporting NHS workers and other front-line workers, with Wimpy Basingstoke and Wimpy Upminster among those giving discounts and/or donating free meals. Others cooked up existing stock and generously donated it to key workers, NHS staff and care homes in the community.