‘I will cherish the memories,’ say devastated fans as the burger chain closes for good

A POPULAR burger chain has left fans devastated after announcing it is closing all its branches.

De Vurger Co, a vegan fast food chain, announced that it would soon close all stores.

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The Vurger Co had three stores in Brighton, Manchester and Shoreditch.

The burger chain posted a heartbreaking message to its followers on Instagram and Facebook.

The message read: “To all our loyal customers and supporters, it is with the most incredible sadness that we have to tell you that we have decided to close the doors of the Vurger Co restaurants for the final time.”

“We have been building this community since 2016 and there are still people following who have eaten our very first burger.”

Collectively, the posts have racked up thousands of likes, with hundreds of customers sending heartfelt messages.

One Facebook user said: “We are losing too many places.”

Another said: “Small independent local businesses are closing left, right and centre.”

“I will always cherish the beautiful memories,” said an Instagram user.

Someone else said: “So sad to read this, I’m going to miss your Shoreditch branch so much.”

The brand admitted: “On a personal level, it was the most incredible emotional rollercoaster for us.”

The chain explained when it first appeared on the scene in 2016 that it had no competitors, but also no fellow vegan chains to ask for advice.

The global pandemic sent the chain into a spiral as it declared the booming business it had until 2020 was starting to disappear.

De Vurger Co said it has worked hard to put staff first during the pandemic, but even after lockdowns things didn’t get better.

The chain said rising costs due to international and domestic inflation factors caused sales to plummet, and was subsequently hit by ‘anti-vegan’ misinformation.

The food brand stressed: “To say the sector is in crisis is not even close at this point.”

It also called on the government to ‘wake up’, reduce VAT and reform rates for hospitality businesses.

What happens to the catering industry?

Several restaurant chains and retailers have struggled to make ends meet in recent years.

Energy costs have risen and more consumers than ever are choosing to order online instead of going to the store.

This leaves some brands struggling with budgets and having no choice but to close stores to cut costs.

Papa John’s has confirmed that eight UK branches closed last month until a new owner could be found.

Taco Bell, which has not been on the scene for long, pulled down the shutters on a drive-thru restaurant in Aberdeen.

Italian restaurant chain Prezzo announced plans to close 46 restaurants by April 2023 due to rising energy and food costs, putting 810 jobs at risk.

Even Wetherspoon has struggled to weather the storm, with 40 pubs closing last year and as many as 20 preparing to close this year.

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