Five Guys Burger Chain Apply For Pavement Tables

Will bid to continue 'cafe culture' be scuppered by cycle highway?

Chiswick High Road with the former Jackson & Rye on left

Five Guys burger fast food chain, which is planning to take over the former Jackson & Rye premises later this year, has applied for planning permission for outdoor seating on the pavement.

The company, which opened its 100th UK site last month at St Paul's in central London, is seeking to have twelve tables and 24 chairs along with eight branded barriers. The outdoor dining area would extend to 13.84 metres (45 feet) with a width of just over 7 feet (2200 mms).

The application states that 'the proposals are similar to external seating utilised by the previous tenant (Jackson and Rye) and is similar to the al fresco dining at other units along the road. The proposal also ensures ample room is left for pedestrians along the pavement. The proposal will extend 2200mm, leaving 5640mm (18.6 feet) for pedestrian activity."

Byron the nearby hamburger chain, (pictured below), was refused permission last year by Hounslow Council to extend the amount of pavement space they use outside their Chiswick High Road restaurant because of the forthcoming cycle highway.

The company wanted to extend the existing external seating area to provide space for six additional chairs and three more tables. This would have meant up to 1.2m of pavement space would be taken up by the restaurant, leaving around 5 metres width of pavement space.

Hounslow Council refused and said the proposed enlargement to the seating area would conflict with the free and safe movement of pedestrians along Chiswick High Road and would result in the loss of further useable pavement width on top of the width already set to be lost as part of the Cycleway 9.

"The proposal would therefore prejudice highway safety, contrary to Local Plan policies EC1 and EC2 of the Local Plan. The proposal, because of its location, position and width, would be an inappropriate development in this Conservation Area, detract from the openness of this part of the High Road and would cause harm to the character and appearance of the Chiswick High Road Conservation Area. The proposal is therefore contrary to Local Plan policies CC1 and CC4."

There has long been discussion over whether the advent of the cycle highway might affect Chiswick's Cafe Culture.

One manager of a local restaurant told ChiswickW4.com that there would not be enough available space to accommodate tables and that the idea of cyclists whizzing by inches away from customers would not be attractive to diners. "It will definitely affect business. There is no doubt about that", he said.

Cllr Jo Biddolph who set up a trader's association to support local shops and restaurants and who opposes the cycle highway, said last year; "I do not want to lose one inch of pavement space to CS9 because our shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants need that space to attract customers. Outdoor tables and chairs help to do that."

Jackson & Rye was an American-themed restaurant at 217-221 Chiswick High Road, which closed in July 2018, and the site was vacant for a long time. The first floor had previously been part of Jamie Oliver's Union Jacks restaurant and before that Villandry. Prior to that it was Ask Pizza and Pasta.

Five Guys is a American fast casual chain specialising in burgers, hot dogs and fries as well as milkshakes. Its headquarters are in Lorton, Virginia USA.

Its first restaurant opened in 1986 and it expanded rapidly after it started franchising in 2003. It has over 1,500 locations worldwide and another 1,500 under development and in 2011 was the fasted growing fast-food chain in the US.

A famous customer at Five Guys Washington

It was founded by Janie and Jerry Murrell, and their five sons are all involved in the business, hence the name. The first outlet outside America opened in Long Acre, Covent Garden in 2013.

The chain has something of a cult following and is instantly recognisable for its red and white checked interiors. Bags of potatoes are often left in store for decorative and storage purposes.

March 8, 2020