The Merseyside Wimpy restaurant found by inspectors to have a catalogue of problems including rodent infestation and mouldy food has completed a remarkable turnaround.
The store in Birkenhead was given a Food Hygiene Rating of 'one' in August 2018 for issues including dirty and greasy surfaces and floors , and was told to improve by Wirral Council 's hygiene inspectors.
But the fast food joint on Princes Pavement has now returned to the top of the inspection rankings, with its rating of 'five' revealed earlier this year.
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The firm, once one of Britain's most famous brands but which disappeared from many high streets years ago after being taken over by Burger King, has called the poor hygiene rating a "temporary dip".
A spokeswoman said that was the first time the store, which has been in Birkenhead for more than 20 years, has ever received the rating of 'one'.
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According to Wimpy, following the bad score, franchisee Sanjay Chaddah "straight away" put in place strict new hygiene and cleaning processes, including nightly deep-cleaning - and was "delighted" when his 'five'-star ranking was restored.
Wimpy, famous for dishes such as the Brown Derby dessert and Bender in a Bun, said it also undertook its own internal audits to check on standards.
Chris Marshall, franchise manager, said: “Mr Chaddah was devastated when he temporarily lost his exemplary rating and immediately worked very hard to turn things around.
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“He has a brilliant track record and we are equally pleased to see his restaurant now restored to its rightful place in the rankings.”
The firm also said that on Wednesday, Mr Chaddah's store became the latest to join Wimpy's new home delivery service, in partnership with Uber and JustEat.
In 2017, the restaurant chain announced it was making a comeback, and has recently opened a new store in Shrewsbury, with another in Portslade in Brighton and Hove "opening soon".
