After more than 30 years of providing fast food, a Southgate restaurant has closed its doors.

Wimpy in Chase Side has spent more than three decades in its Southgate home but due to financial problems, has been forced to shut.

The chain was established in 1954, with its first shop opening in Coventry Street in London. The restaurant then reached heights of more than 1,000 stores across 23 different countries during the 1960s and 1970s.

However, the company fell on hard times with a string of management buyouts between 1990 and 2002 but the Southgate Wimpy remained even when others were closing, such as Enfield’s Wimpy in Church Street in 2009.

Jonathan Landi, a regular customer and close friend with the former owners, said: “My family and I had been coming regularly to Wimpy since we moved to the area in 1993 and it is very sad to hear this news.

“I had fears it would be closing due to the economical climate that we are in and it is sad to see a great friend lose his shop. Ian and his staff were always very friendly and provided an excellent service whenever I went in there.”

In 2007, the Wimpy South Africa franchise purchased Wimpy UK and has gone under major re-branding with a completely new menu.

But Mr Landi felt that the competition from other fast food chains eventually killed off the Wimpy shop.

He said: “It is a very tough market, with Burger King, McDonalds and KFC all offering similar food to Wimpy. Unfortunately it is the end of an era.”

Wimpy UK has refused to comment on the situation.