Rachael Davis
If you’ve been to any UK town or city, you’ve probably noticed that there isn’t much room for more fast food and takeaway options. Along with Wetherspoons, betting shops, and charity shops, they’re among the last bastion of the ailing British high street.
Plenty of independent places win traction with Chinese, fried chicken, Lebanese, and other cuisines, and those are already going toe-to-toe with the endless array of big fast food brands that have hit our shores.
Something of a boom is going on where imported fast food chains are concerned, with longstanding stalwarts like McDonald’s, KFC and Burger King being joined by the likes of Bleecker Burger, Five Guys, Hooters, Shake Shack, Jollibee, Wing Stop and many more finding a footing with the British public in recent years.
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If you think we’re well-set for fast food options, the corporate world would beg to differ as yet another brand has got the green light for muscling its way into the space.
This one comes courtesy of our friends-slash-rivals across the Channel: the so-called ‘best in town’, according to Instagram comments.
Dumbo, the brand in question, is a smash burger outlet that first launched in 2019 and has won a cult following in its native city of Paris.
Touting itself as a ‘quality burger joint for all’, it seems ‘all’ now includes Brits. The fledgling chain, which has four locations in France’s capital, is set to open its first UK store on Bethnal Green Road in Shoreditch, London.
"Feel bad for all the other smash burgers because… [fire emoji]," one fan wrote on social media underneath the announcement.
The opening, set for June 2025, will launch Dumbo’s simple but effective menu on the British public. Just two options are available: the cheeseburger at €10 (£8.40) and the earth burger for €13 (£10.90). The official GBP prices haven’t yet dropped, but presumably they’ll be in a similar region to the Parisian equivalents.
Dumbo’s cheeseburger features dry-aged beef, a slice of American cheese, onion, gherkins, ketchup and mustard. The earth burger is its vegetarian alternative, with a veggie patty, lettuce, cheese, onion, gherkins and a special sauce.
Rounding out the menu are the Dumbo fries, available for €4 (£3.35) in either twice-cooked or salted varieties, along with chicken nuggets, fizzy drinks, beer and, the pièce de résistance, water.
“Our philosophy has always been simple: great ingredients, no fuss, and food that brings people together,” said Dumbo co-founder Charles Ganem.
“We’re excited to join the London food scene, especially at a time when smashburgers are experiencing such incredible momentum in the city.”