Fat Hippo, the independent burger group, will open its debut London restaurant on Great Eastern Street in Shoreditch on Friday, 14 October, strengthening its UK portfolio to 15 restaurants nationwide.
The new 3000sq ft, 108-cover restaurant is inspired by East London’s vibrant culture with contemporary urban style décor, custom-designed copper-plated artwork, exposed brickwork and bespoke steelwork.
Open seven days a week for dine-in and takeaway, the menu features the brand’s double beef and buttermilk chicken burgers, a wide range of plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free and halal chicken options, as well as a great value kids menu.
Signatures include the PB+JJ burger, a double patty topped with peanut butter and bacon jam; the Great White Buffalo burger with buttermilk chicken, American cheese, smoked bacon, buffalo hot sauce and purple ‘slaw; and the eponymous Fat Hippo burger featuring a double patty, American cheese, smoked bacon, chorizo, onion rings and ‘Fat Hippo sauce’.
All burgers will be served in a toasted demi brioche alongside ‘Hippo seasoned’ hand cut chips, free as standard. Sides include dirty fries, frickles (fried pickles) and custom wings will also be available.
Shoreditch menu prices remain the same as the rest of the UK with burgers starting from £11.90. There’s also regular weekday offers such as the ‘Fast Hippo’ burgers and fries lunch for £8, and the ‘Hippo Hour’ - two courses for £16 and three courses for £18.50 from 5 - 6pm.
Michael Phillips, Fat Hippo Managing Director and Founder, noted, “We are on an ambitious growth path and are delighted to be bringing our patties to London for the first time.
'We’re being very selective in terms of the cities we’re considering for our new restaurants and are only looking at vibrant, dynamic locations that fit with our brand aspirations. The lively and creative district of Shoreditch is the perfect fit.”
The first Fat Hippo opened in 2010 in Jesmond and has since expanded with additional restaurants now in Newcastle, Durham, Nottingham, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Cardiff, Birmingham, and Glasgow.
The North-East born restaurant group also has three concessions, including kiosks within Sheffield’s all day retail experience Kommune and Lane 7’s Sheffield, Manchester and Edinburgh first-class bowling venues. Fat Hippo also runs a street food fleet that tours the UK serving its renowned burgers at hundreds of national events.
In line with the company’s expansion plans, Fat Hippo will be opening a second restaurant in London early next year as well as in York, expected to create around 70 new jobs. The brand plans to open a further six locations over the next 12 months, which will create an additional 160 jobs, making the number of employees across the group over 600.
