""I would gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." That was the catchphrase of J. Wellington Wimpy from the old "Popeye" cartoons - a man obsessed with hamburgers but lacking the money to buy them until next Tuesday. Founded as Wimpy Grills in 1934, the Wimpy chain started in Indiana and rose to fame in Chicago, the city it's still associated with today even though no locations remain there."
"In the 1970s, Wimpy had taken the U.K. by storm, with 500 locations in the country and more than 1,500 worldwide across 39 others. You could find locations in places as diverse as Colombia, Iran, Australia, and many other parts of the world. Today, there are 58 Wimpys left in the U.K. The company still operates in Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait, amongst others."
"Edward Gold, the founder of Wimpy, once owned 25 locations in the U.S. but sold many of them when he chose to focus on European operations. After Gold's death, the American locations began to dwindle, and by 1978, only four remained, all in Chicago. Though they were put up for sale along with the rights to the name, no buyers came forward, and that ended Wimpy's legacy in America."
Wimpy began as Wimpy Grills in Indiana in 1934 and later became strongly associated with Chicago. The brand expanded internationally and reached more than 1,500 locations worldwide, including 500 in the U.K. during the 1970s. U.S. locations declined after founder Edward Gold focused on European operations and further dwindled following his death; remaining American outlets were gone by 1978. Wimpy currently maintains 58 outlets in the U.K. and continues operations in Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. The chain is particularly successful in South Africa, where over 450 restaurants operate and menus feature items such as the Big Champion combo, ribs, and peri peri chicken livers.
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