Mystery surrounds closure of Merseyside’s last Wimpy

Wimpy in Birkenhead was closed on January 31, 2025, with a sign in the window saying it would reopen next week
-Credit:Alistair Houghton


Mystery surrounds the closure of Merseyside’s last Wimpy. The Birkenhead restaurant in Princes Pavement is the iconic chain’s last outpost in Merseyside and attracts visitors from across the country and as far away as Ireland.

Late last year the restaurant’s franchisee Sanjay Chaddah spoke to the ECHO to say he was unsure what the future might hold for his restaurant as it sits in an area of the town earmarked for regeneration.

Wirral Council bought the Grange and Pyramids shopping centre, including Princes Pavement, in 2023, and is developing plans to regenerate the whole of Birkenhead town centre. The old House of Fraser store behind has already been demolished.

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Mr Chaddah told the Echo in December that he wanted to work with the council to see if the restaurant could stay open as the area is transformed, but said he had not had enough detail from them. The council said it was still finalising its plans and would speak to tenants.

The ECHO visited Princes Pavement on Friday to see the restaurant was closed, although a sign on the door suggests the closure is only temporary. Other signs have been placed in the restaurant's window from “authorised high court enforcement officer” Wilson & Roe saying they had entered the premises earlier in the week on behalf of the landlord.

But there is also a sign on the door from franchisee Sanjay saying “We will be opening next week, business as usual. We are sorry for any inconvenience.” Meanwhile the official Wimpy website says: “Wimpy Birkenhead is temporarily closed. We hope to reopen again in the near future and want to thank our valued customers for their continued support.”

A sign on the window of the closed Wimpy in Birkenhead on January 31, 2025, saying 'we will be opening next week'
A sign on the window of the closed Wimpy in Birkenhead, saying 'we will be opening next week' -Credit:Alistair Houghton

The ECHO has approached Mr Chaddah and Wimpy for comment. Wirral Council declined to comment. Speaking to the ECHO in December, Mr Chaddah said he was proud to keep the Wimpy flag flying in Merseyside, and said the restaurant attracted visitors from across the UK and Ireland.

He said: "Last Saturday we had people from Portsmouth. In January we’ll have people over from Ireland. They come and stay in Liverpool and have breakfast and tea here. It’s the only Wimpy in the North West. The next one would be in Huddersfield. People come in just to see us. You come, Andy comes. There’s a community that comes together.”