The US burger import has secured sites in the capital in Richmond and on King’s Road in Chelsea, both of which are smaller than the usual sites it snaps up. The Richmond site was formerly Urban Diner, while the site in Chelsea used to be rival burger restaurant BRGR.

It is thought that both sites will focus on a greater takeaway element, featuring less seating but without compromising on space for the brand’s production line.

Five Guys is one of a growing number of hospitality brands to create smaller express formats as competition for sites intensifies. Last month Grind announced it had signed a deal with food travel specialist SSP​​ ​to launch smaller sites at two London travel hubs in the next 12 months.

Five Guys is on course to operate 79 UK sites by the end of this year. It also plans to open up to 30 new sites across Continental Europe next year, while looking to add a further 15 to 20 sites in the UK.

Forthcoming openings outside of the capital include restaurants in York and Colchester, as well as one in London’s Westfield Stratford, are due to come on stream before the end of the year, taking the company to 20 openings for 2017.

The company also recently secured a second site in Nottingham for its 2018 pipeline.

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