Leading law firm Blake Morgan has advised Miami Burger on the opening of its first UK super-healthy, plant-based, fast-food restaurant.
Located in the Oracle shopping centre in Reading, Miami Burger serves all the usual fast-food favourites – burgers, double burgers, ‘cheezeburgers’, onion rings, wraps, hot dogs, ‘chick’n’ burgers and much more – but as everything is ‘coincidentally’ plant-based and cooked without deep-fat fryers, all the food is ‘significantly healthier without sacrificing fantastic taste’. The new restaurant, at 10 Broad Street in the Oracle Shopping Centre, seats 135 customers.
The business has ambitious plans to open across Europe over the next few years as the shift towards healthier food and increased plant-based consumption gathers pace. Miami Burger is also in talks with major UK retailers to list its patties in stores for home consumption.
The Blake Morgan team, led by corporate partner James Williams, comprised lawyers from across its corporate, commercial and real estate teams. James Egan and Holly Dobbins (real estate) advised on all property matters related to the fast-food chain’s new premises in the popular shopping centre including reviewing and negotiating a 10-year lease. Yvonne Majewska (commercial) and Ben Evans (IP) advised on a number of commercial arrangements including negotiating and advising on the terms of the businesses manufacturing and supply chain and intellectual property matters.
The team behind Miami Burger has spent the past two years developing fast food which is both healthy and delicious. By using plant protein – soya, wheat and beans – alongside classic herbs and seasonings, the Miami Burger menu will satisfy anyone who loves ‘junk food’ but who also want to look after their bodies at the same time.
Miami Burger’s food development chef Tom Halford has ambitions to take on the high-street giants at their own game, pointing out that the Classic Miami Burger made from soya protein has 87% less sat fat than a traditional McDonald’s Quarter Pounder , while a Miami Hot Dog has 76% less sat fat than a hot dog from Five Guys. Alongside ensuring the healthy nutritional content on their menu, ethically sourced and sustainable produce is also a priority for the environmentally friendly business who source 100% plant based biodegradable and compostable packaging including straws and coffee lids.
Commenting on the deal, a Miami Burger spokesman said: “This is the first restaurant of its kind in the UK and we were impressed with Blake Morgan’s ability to deal with all of our needs from advice on intellectual property to getting the property deal over the line and handing over the keys to our new premises.”
Halford sees the future of fast food heading in one direction: “The number of people giving up meat has been growing over the last few years, especially amongst young people, but the high street hasn’t really caught up. Customers are also crying out for fast food that isn’t laden with crazy levels of sugar and saturated fats but no one is really offering that at the moment. We look forward to working with the team at Blake Morgan again as we roll out our plans for more restaurants across the UK and Europe to meet the demand for healthy, fast food.”
Blake Morgan corporate partner James Williams, whose team assisted Miami Burger on its incorporation, said: “It has been a pleasure to work with the Miami Burger team on such an exciting opportunity to open their first healthy plant based fast food chain in Europe. The depth of our expertise here at Blake Morgan means we can handle the full range of legal services to set up and launch an ambitious venture like this all under one roof. We wish them every success with the new restaurant and look forward to working and dining with them again in the future.’
