April 2, 2021 11.02 am This story is over 34 months old

Ex manager takes over Handmade Burger and will reopen Lincoln restaurant

They hope to reopen in May

By Local Democracy Reporter

Handmade Burger Co has been taken over by a former staff worker and will reopen in Lincoln this May, over a year after the business collapsed.

Handmade Burger Co fell into administration in January 2020 and was forced into closing 18 restaurants across the UK, including the Lincoln branch. The company has now been saved by a new consultancy firm, led by former general manager at Handmade Burger Co, Adam Howitt.

Adam Howitt will become one of the new owners of Handmade Burger Co as part of the move, and will open up to eight of the former sites in the UK. These are in Lincoln, Sheffield, Solihull and Reading.

Hoping to return to business in May. | Photo: The Lincolnite

Howitt Hospitality Consultants aims to support businesses from all over the country, and it will look to resurrect Handmade Burger Co, as well as Thai brand Lemongrass.

Around 20-25 jobs will be created by Handmade’s reopening in the city, which has been scheduled for the end of May.

A time frame of between May 17 and the end of the month has been set for Lincoln’s Handmade Burger Co to reopen, and Adam is looking forward to returning to his old place of work.

He used to work as a general manager at Handmade, and will now be an owner of the brand as his consultancy firm looks to reignite the company.

Adam told The Lincolnite: “I’ve always been very passionate about the brand, it’s incredibly humbling to come full circle from general manager to shareholder.

“The old ownership took the identity away a bit, we are looking to take Handmade back to its roots, using fresh ingredients from farms and bringing portion sizes back up.”

When asked about why Lincoln was one of the eight locations picked for reopening, Adam said: “Historically it was a profitable unit, and obviously the city is growing from strength to strength.

“Lincoln is a very good, developing city with a large student presence, we’re looking forward to bringing some new jobs to the Brayford.”