Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) is a chain of luxury restaurants in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

specialising in gourmet burgers. There is a subtle Kiwi theme throughout the restaurants, a reference to the heritage of the original owners.

History

The company was started in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

ers Adam Wills, Greg Driscoll, and Brandon Allen in 2001. Chef Peter Gordon, a New Zealand-born, London-based chef, oversaw the menu development and the first restaurant opened in 2001, bringing the concept of 'gourmet burgers' to London. GBK is known for its "large" burgers, fresh produce and casual service style. The initial success of the

Battersea Battersea is a large district in southwest London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross and also extends along the south bank of the Thames Tideway. It includes the Battersea Park. Hist ...

restaurant led to further openings across London. In 2005, the owners sold the business to Clapham House Group PLC who added a total of 53 restaurants across the UK. In 2010 the restaurant chain was sold to Capricorn Ventures, most notable for operating

Nando's Nando's (; ) is a South Africa, South African multinational fast casual restaurant chain that specialises in Portuguese flame-grilled, peri-peri style Chicken as food, chicken. Founded in Johannesburg in 1987, Nando's operates over 1,200 outl ...

. GBK expanded to 60 restaurants across the UK, and had plans to continue growing. Franchises operate in Ireland, Dubai, Greece and Oman. In September 2016, the South African firm

Famous Brands Famous Brands (formerly known as Steers Group) is a South African-based Conglomerate (company), conglomerate predominately dealing in fast casual restaurants, and is currently headquartered in Midrand. Founded in 1960, the company operates aro ...

bought the company for US$143.3 million. In August 2018, the company reported huge losses due to a decline in sales. In October 2018, Gourmet Burger Kitchen reported a £47m loss amid tough trading conditions. Later that month, Gourmet Burger Kitchen announced plans to close 17 restaurants. In October 2020, it was announced that Ranjit Singh Boparan had acquired the company from administration. However, as part of the deal, 26 restaurants would remain closed, with the loss of 362 jobs. 35 restaurants will remain open.

References

External links

* {{Restaurants in London Hamburger restaurants New Zealand cuisine Restaurants established in 2001 Restaurants in London Restaurant franchises

History

See also

References

External links