Honest Burgers to 'challenge the big guys' with quick-service burger concept

Casual dining chain Honest Burgers is to expand with a new quick-service burger concept it hopes will “challenge the big guys”.

The Catey award-winning business founded by friends, Tom Barton and Phillip Eeles, will launch a crowdfund to propel the expansion of the new brand based around its smashed burger, which cooks in less than two minutes.

Investors who purchase an equity share in Honest Burgers through the crowdfund will gain access to a range of benefits dependent on investment level such as free burgers, regeneratively farmed steak boxes and the chance to host a free burger party at one of its restaurants.

The concept also has backing from existing investor Active Partners, who will provide £1m to establish the new concept, with plans to open the first site in London early in 2024.

Frank Hayes, CEO of Honest Burgers, said: “The hospitality industry has been hit hard over the last few years with some even saying that the premium burger bubble had burst but today’s announcement proves Honest Burgers is here to stay.

“Thanks to our loyal customer base we have continued to grow whilst never compromising on serving the best quality burgers and chips we can, to make our customers feel at home and to offer great value with no gimmicks.

“It’s exciting to take the brand to the next level with an ambitious plan to open more Honest restaurants, building our presence in regional cities as well as London.

“But we also believe that our new restaurant format can challenge the big guys in the premium quick service burger market. We never dreamt Honest would get to where is it today, but we have big ambitions for our future and we hope our customers will join us for the ride.”

Spencer Skinner, managing partner at Active Partners, added: “When we first met Tom and Phil it was clear that they had something special. Honest Burgers has a proven track record for growth - its success continues to be underpinned by its team’s passion, values, and relentless drive to deliver great quality burgers and service.

“We’re super excited about the next chapter in the Honest story and are fully committed to supporting their expansion.”

Honest Burger has more than 40 restaurants nationwide, serving 80,000 burgers and 30 tonnes of homemade chips every week and is on track to record sales of £55m in 2023.

The business has its own butchery creating patties for its burgers and has launched its Honest Farming initiative in an attempt to redesign the beef supply chain by working directly regenerative farms who focus on promoting soil health, biodiversity & carbon capture.

For more information on how to invest in Honest Burgers visit: www.honestburgers.co.uk/crowdfund/.