Wahlburgers, the restaurant franchise co-founded by Hollywood star Mark Wahlberg, has announced it will not reopen its London site after lockdown.
The Covent Garden location of the burger brand opened just over a year ago as the first UK site for the US-based group.
In a statement, the group cited the drop off in footfall in the nearby area.
"Wahlburgers Covent Garden is situated in a very busy shopping and entertainment hub that attracts many locals and tourists.
“Our franchisee had to make the difficult decision to close this location due to the financial impacts of the pandemic on the restaurant industry, as well as the uncertainty of consumer behavior post pandemic in a location such as this.”
The restaurant had been running delivery and takeaway services during the lockdown, but these have now ceased as of June 6.
The James Street restaurant was the first location for Wahlburgers outside North America. The franchise currently has 36 locations in the US, two in Canada and one in Germany.
The company is co-owned by Wahlberg and his brothers, chef Paul and Donnie, formerly of Nineties boy band New Kids On The Block. The restaurant’s menu is inspired by family-favourite dishes from the brothers’ childhood.
The exploits of the Wahlberg brothers were even turned into a behind-the-scenes reality TV programme named for the restaurant.
