<P> In 1954, Gold sold a licence to J. Lyons and Co. to use the Wimpy name in the United Kingdom . Subsequently, in 1957, Wimpy Grills Inc. of Chicago formed a joint company with Lyons called Wimpy's International Inc., based in Chicago, to operate Wimpy Grills in the rest of the world . </P> <P> The joint company eventually grew to 1,500 locations, and Gold later sold his share to Lyons prior to his death . After obtaining full control of the international licensing outside of the United States, Lyons and its successors handled global franchising through their United Kingdom based subsidiary Wimpy International Ltd . This arrangement ceased when Wimpy UK became a subsidiary of South Africa - based Famous Brands in 2007 and the South African company started to handle worldwide franchising duties directly from Johannesburg . </P> <P> Lyons obtained a licence to use the Wimpy brand in the United Kingdom, from Edward Gold's Chicago based Wimpy Grills, Inc. and, in 1954, the first "Wimpy Bar" Lyons was established at the Lyons Corner House in Coventry Street, London . Originally, the bar was a special fast food section within the more traditional Corner House restaurants, but the success soon led to the establishment of separate Wimpy restaurants serving only hamburger based meals . </P> <P> In 1955 newspaper column, Art Buchwald, syndicated writer for the Washington Post, wrote about the recent opening of a "Wimpy's Hamburger Parlor" on Coventry Street and about the influence of American culture on the British . </P>

When did the first wimpy open in the uk