Irish brands Wowburger and Elephant & Castle to make UK debut

The Frenchgate Partnership, owners of the Frenchgate Shopping Centre in Doncaster, has signed two Irish F&B brands for its debut sites in the UK.  

Wowburger and Elephant and Castle are taking 2,800 sq ft and 4,000 sq ft respectively. Both will open on the first floor of Frenchgate’s North Mall Gallery in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Wowburger, part of the Press Up Hospitality Group, is a burger chain that also offers home cut fries, shakes and sundaes. The brand currently has fourteen outlets in Ireland, clustered in and around Dublin and Cork.   

Also from the Press Up Hospitality Group stable, Elephant and Castle is one of Ireland’s “most iconic restaurants”, having set up in Dublin’s Temple Bar 30 years ago, an extension of its original sister restaurant in the Lower East-Side in Manhattan, NYC.  

Elephant and Castle serves up an all-day menu of classic New York-style dishes, including its famous crispy spicy chicken wings. There are currently six Elephant and Castle locations in Dublin, including the flagship site in Temple Bar.

Commenting on its first UK signings, Laura Arnold, head of marketing and public relations at Press Up, said: “We have been planning the UK debuts of Wowburger and Elephant and Castle for some time, following closely a handful of locations that meet our requirements.  Frenchgate is ideal, with its high footfall, strong regional appeal, and an evident commitment to providing visitors with a range of engaging F&B brands.”

Patrick Mellon of Frenchgate added: “Our strategy is creating a unique mix of choice, quality and experience for visitors, be they living locally or travelling to Frenchgate from across the region.  

“The approach has been successful historically and is even more relevant now as the centre emerges from the lockdown.  Securing these two strong brands for their UK launch sites is a great accolade for the centre and a testament to the leasing team’s commitment to delivering the vision.”