Gourmet burger restaurant to open in Burnley

A Burnley businessman’s “Man vs Food” inspired gourmet burgers are proving so popular he is set to open his first restaurant.
David Hankinson who is transforming the former Little Chef restaurant into a gourmet burger takeaway.David Hankinson who is transforming the former Little Chef restaurant into a gourmet burger takeaway.
David Hankinson who is transforming the former Little Chef restaurant into a gourmet burger takeaway.

David Hankinson (33) is planning to launch his own diner in the former Little Chef building after the soar-away success of his Kenank’s takeaway styled on the hit US food show.

The father-of-two says his secret recipe burgers, modelled on those eaten in the American food show by gourmand Adam Richmond, have created a real appetite for “posh nosh” fast food.

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The business, named after his late father Ken who ran Bird’s Chippy in Rosegrove where Kenank’s is based, has taken off and built up more than 4,000 customers in little over a year.

Now the former sales manager is pouring his life savings into opening the Kenank’s Restuarant at the one-time Burger King in Barracks Road.

David, who has never trained as a chef, said: “The business is doing really well. We have more than 4,000 customers..

“I am pressing fresh burgers every day – sometimes I can do up to 150.

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“What we are producing is great – but we can be a lot better Sometimes the wait on food can be quite long because we have so many orders and we only have one grill and two friers.

“The takeaway will become so much better when the restaurant opens. We want to be bigger and better. I hope it will be bigger and better.”

Former Ivy Bank student David said he jumped at the chance to snap up the former Little Chef building which has stood empty for more than four years.

He has taken over the site and has a vision which includes a sit-in restaurant, children’s room and soft play area as well as an outdoor park and beer garden.

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David said: “The end game was always to have a restaurant – we trialled it with a takeaway and it has been really popular.

“We wanted to open somewhere in the style of Man vs Food – somewhere that did hand-made burgers. Nobody does it.

Burnley must have more takeaways per square inch than anywhere in the country – but it is all the same frozen rubbish food.

“So I thought there was a market for it.

“I think it will be really good for Burnley. The restaurant is at the gateway to the town so it will be good that it is not boarded up.”

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