Full list of US fast food chains moving to the UK to rival McDonald’s, including a fast food joint with 3,000 outlets

Several American fast food chains have revealed plans to open new stores in the UK.

After Dave’s Hot Chicken, Chick-fil-A and Popeyes, the latest American chain set to rival McDonald’s in Britain and Ireland is Carl’s Jr.

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The American company, which has more than 1,000 locations in the United States and 3,100 worldwide, offers an assortment of chicken dishes, hamburgers and breakfast sandwiches.

The fast food brand was founded by Carl Karcher in Southern California in 1941 and is now present in 35 countries.

In Europe, Carl’s Jr already has stores in Spain, France, Denmark, Turkey and Switzerland.

The chain has now partnered with Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), which owns several franchises including Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Slim Chickens, to launch in the UK and Ireland.

At this time, no opening date has been set and the company has not confirmed the locations where the restaurants will be located.

Satnam Leihal, CEO of BRG, expressed his excitement about the partnership: “Carl’s Jr.’s international success is a testament to the fantastic quality of its food and its innovative approach.

“We are excited to bring the California-born Eat Like You Mean It experience to the UK.

“This partnership is a perfect fit with our commitment to delivering exceptional culinary experiences.

“We look forward to introducing Carl’s Jr. to the UK and Irish markets.”

Following the latest announcement, we’ve taken a look at some of the most popular US fast food chains that have already set up shop in the UK, as well as others that have announced plans to open new stores.

Dave’s Spicy Chicken

Earlier this month, Dave’s Hot Chicken announced plans to open 60 restaurants across the UK and Ireland.

The brand, known for its huge burgers, tenders and hot chicken bites, has partnered with the Azzurri Group to lead its rollout in the UK.

The first restaurant is expected to open in London in the first quarter of 2025.

Steve Holmes, Azzurri Group Managing Director, said: “When we first tried Dave’s Hot Chicken we were blown away as it was one of the most mouth-watering and delicious dishes we have ever had.

“We are delighted to bring this incredible brand to the UK and to be their partner in this ambitious rollout.”

Bill Phelps, Managing Director of Dave’s Hot Chicken, added: “The flavour of Dave’s Hot Chicken resonates across borders, and we look forward to the opening of the first UK store soon.”

Chick-fil-A

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Fried chicken restaurant chain Chick-fil-A has confirmed plans to open new locations across the country.

The retailer is expected to open its first store in early 2025, followed by up to five over the next two years.

While the exact menu has yet to be confirmed by Chick-fil-A, the company has said it will be bringing popular dishes across the Atlantic.

These include the original Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich, freshly prepared salads and hand-breaded chicken nuggets served all day long.

Chick-fil-A opened its first store in Atlanta, Georgia in 1967.

Today it has 2,800 restaurants in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

Anita Costello, regional director of Chick-fil-A, said: “We are delighted that our restaurants are bringing new jobs and opportunities across the UK.

“Serving communities is at the heart of everything we do at Chick-fil-A, and our unique operator model provides unique access to entrepreneurial opportunities.”

She added: “We look forward to sharing our authentic Chick-fil-A experience: offering fresh food prepared with high-quality ingredients, served with our signature hospitality.”

Popeyes

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Popeyes arrived across the Atlantic in 2021 and has proven to be a hit with hungry customers ever since.

They see 125,000 of their iconic Shatter Crunch Chicken Sandwiches cooked and enjoyed by happy customers every week.

Last month, the company announced it would open its 50th branch: a restaurant in Glasgow.

In the coming months, the chain will also open its first site in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

According to the fast food chain, the plan to open several additional branches will result in the creation of 2,000 additional jobs in local communities.

Tom Crowley, CEO of Popeyes UK, said: “In just 30 months, our remarkable Popeyes UK team has secured a pipeline of 50 new world-class sites, including our very first site in Northern Ireland which will open very soon in Belfast.

“Currently, Popeyes UK is the fastest growing QSR chicken brand in the UK, with annual growth of 125% from May 2023 to May 2024.

“The continued demand for Popeyes in the UK is incredible, but not unexpected.

“We’ve seen overnight queues for almost every opening since our UK launch in 2021, with fried chicken fans turning up to queue more than 24 hours before new Popeyes restaurants open.

“We remain committed to our expansion plans and look forward to reaching new milestones in the years to come.”

At Wendy’s

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American burger chain Wendy’s, which already has 23 sites in the UK, will open its new establishments this year.

Over the past few years, she has built a loyal following and opened 30 new restaurants in areas including Camden, Reading and Brighton.

The US fast food giant has confirmed it will be serving more foodies at eight new UK locations this year, with more under construction.

We have not been able to confirm the exact dates of the openings, but we will keep our readers informed.

Wendy’s will open its new site in Middlesbrough in the coming months.

Liverpool will also welcome its first physical restaurant later this year, following the launch of a delivery kitchen opening in 2023.

Sheffield is also welcoming a second restaurant, joining its first high street location, which opened in 2022.

Wendy’s franchisee GH Burgers will open its first restaurant in Wood Green, north London, in 2024.

While another franchise restaurant is also opening in Newcastle.

Five guys

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Five Guys Burgers and Fries first packaged up its tasty menu and took it overseas to London in 2013.

Famous for its hot dogs and hamburgers, McDonald’s rival has seen meteoric rise in popularity over the past 10 years.

It offers over 250,000 possible burger combinations, over 1,000 possible ways to customize a milkshake and 100 soda flavors on the Coca-Cola Freestyle machine.

Five Guys now has over 150 restaurants across the UK.

Recent openings include restaurants in Barnet, Wembley Park, Croydon Valley Leisure Park, Leeds Trinity, West Hampstead and Liverpool New Mersey.

Shake Shack

Shake Shack has 15 locations in the UK and last month announced plans to open its first ever train station restaurant in the country.

The burger giant is to open a new restaurant at the country’s busiest station, St. Pancras International.

The new Shake Shack restaurant will feature the brand’s popular menu, including breakfast burgers, crinkle-cut fries and their iconic Shack Meister Ale.

The new restaurant will offer exclusive treats to hungry travellers passing through the bustling Eurostar terminal.

The new restaurant will be the fast food giant’s 16th outlet in the UK since it launched in Covent Garden in 2013.

It will be the brand’s second branch within a travel hub, joining the one in Gatwick Airport’s North Terminal.

While most of Shake Shack’s UK sites are based in London, in recent years bosses have expanded to other locations including Essex, Oxford and Cardiff.

Wing stop

Earlier this year, Wingstop announced the opening of 15 additional restaurants, bringing the total number of locations to 54.

Lemon Pepper Holdings, which manages the fast food chain’s UK portfolio, said the move would create up to 750 jobs.

The US hotel brand said it was its biggest year of expansion since Wingstop launched in the UK six years ago.

Wingstop is known for selling everything from wings and tenders to burgers and made-to-order sides.

Tom Grogan, co-founder of Lemon Pepper Holdings, said 2024 marked “the chain’s biggest year of growth ever.”

“We are proud to be opening across the country and creating up to 750 new jobs,” he added.

“In just five years of existence, we have certainly made our mark by offering the tastiest wings in the industry along with an authentic and personalized culinary experience.

“The momentum is huge and we’re only just getting started. We can’t wait for more Brits to sample our delicious cuisine.”

Meanwhile, McDonald’s has confirmed it will be bringing back its popular £3 meal deal just in time for the school holidays.

The great value offering returns to restaurants with all the fan favourites – except for one much-loved summer dessert.

From 31st July, Maccies fans across the UK and Ireland can get three dishes for a total of just £3, which works out to just £1 per dish.

If you’re craving the perfect lunch without breaking the bank, the promotional offer features eight dining options to choose from.

However, for those looking to cool off on a summer day, the McFlurry is unfortunately off the menu.

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