Burger joints to reopen amid former staff wage row

A burger restaurant chain whose former staff claim they are owed more than £200,000 in unpaid wages after the business suddenly folded is set to reopen under new ownership.

About 100 employees of Almost Famous, which shut last month, started a union-backed campaign to demand compensation, with some saying they only found out about the shock closure on social media.

The chain's outlets in Manchester's Northern Quarter and Liverpool have been acquired by Liverpool-based firm D2, which said it was "aware" of issues with staff and would offer them "first refusal on all job roles".

In a statement, the directors of Almost Famous said: "The claims being made by the union are factually incorrect and unfounded."

Ubayd Ullah, who worked at Almost Famous as a bartender for two years, said employees had been "worked to the bone" in recent months before finding out they had lost their jobs only hours before their shifts were due to start.

The 24-year-old from Manchester said: "I honestly couldn't believe it, I was in shock, as I've been at the company so long.

"I put years of my life into this and know it's just a hospitality job and all, but I thought I would be treated better."

Almost Famous co-founder Beau Myers announced on 27 January that all restaurants would immediately close due to financial pressures including Covid-related debts, rising costs and fewer people being able to afford eating out.

The brand was launched in Manchester's Northern Quarter in 2012 around the concept of an American-style burger, and grew to have outlets in Liverpool and Leeds.

Luke Fox, who worked in another of the chain's Manchester restaurants, said he only found out he had lost his job while scrolling on Instagram.

He spotted a news article about the closure.

Mr Fox said he was "shocked but not surprised", adding staff had been "absolutely overworked" in the months before the business shut when restaurants were packed due to "50% off" deals being advertised.

He said he had been lending fellow workers cash to help them out.

Mr Ubayd said many of them were now in a vulnerable position.

More than 100 former Almost Famous staff are being supported by the Unite trade union as they try to pursue compensation through the Redundancy Protection Service.

Bryan Simpson, Unite's hospitality lead, said the way his members had been treated was "morally reprehensible" and breached employment law requiring workers to be consulted 30 days before contracts are terminated.

He said staff had been "financially crippled" by what had happened.

The directors of Almost Famous opened a new burger restaurant, Super Awesome Deluxe, in October last year on Thomas Street in Manchester's Northern Quarter, the same road as the now-shut Almost Famous outlet.

According to Companies House records, Mr Myers is also the owner of Super Awesome Deluxe.

Mr Simpson said former Almost Famous workers planned to protest outside the restaurant and organise a boycott of Super Awesome Deluxe "to send a message" to its directors.

Almost Famous's former operations manager Daniel Kelly, who left the company in 2022, has acquired the chain's sites as managing director of D2.

In a statement he said the firm was aware employees had raised issues but was "unable to comment on anything relating to the former owners".

"We are doing what we can as a new company to offer former staff first refusal on all job roles," he said.

D2 plans to reopen Almost Famous restaurants in Manchester's Northern Quarter on Friday, and in Liverpool on Monday.

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