I’ve lived on Salem Mubarek Street in Salmiya for the past 40 years so I basically know it inside out, yet for some reason, I just found out that the first Wimpy opened up on my street back in 1969! There used to be a Hardee’s on my street which I’ve known since I was a kid but turns out before Hardee’s it used to be a Wimpy. The photo above is supposedly from 1972 and below is the last photo I have of that building dating back to 2008 when it was about to get demolished. The corner store is where Wimpy and Hardees used to be.
Update: Below is another photo from 1973
28 replies on “First Wimpy in Kuwait – Salmiya, 1969”
I remember Wimpy..
… Nostalgia
They’ve still got locations open in Kuwait
I remember Wimpy in Fahd alsalem 🙂
I remember the Wimpy from the red photo above as it was a 5 min walk from where I lived. Damn, I’m old. Lol. Later it was Hardee’s with Chicken Tikka right behind it. Good old memories.
Got any pictures of the area from back then? Someone told me there was a supermarket across the street from this where xcite is today. Used to be kids r us before that snd Alghanim Chevrolet dealer before that and supposedly a supermarket before. The pork section was downstairs.
I remember a Fay bookstore (now MRG) bang opposite Chicken Tikka. I doubt that there was a supermarket selling pork around that time. Could have been early 70’s? I think even the booze had stopped by the late 60’s.
Yup Fay was in the same building as Barakat and Swan Lake.
https://248am.com/mark/kuwait/elect-me-as-mayor-of-salmiya/
That building in the post thats now been demolished
The saddest was watching Family Bookstore being demolished. Lots of childhood memories in that store, searching for Archie’s & Jughead comics, Tinton & Hardy Boys. I believe that the only old shop still standing is UTC.
https://248am.com/mark/magazines/flashback-the-family-bookshop/
I remember a Stamps shop next to kidsrus
Stamps? As in postal stamps? Maybe it was Muzaini and they sold stamps?
Yeah it was partly owned by Boushahri. The guy dealt with old Collectable stamps
During our time in Kuwait I doubt the Salmeya location of Wimpy’s was still open. Have an ever so vague memory of Wimpy’s in Al Ahmadi, though. The school I attended in Kuwait – Wimpy’s was a running joke among the boys there who claimed anyone who ate there would become a wimpy kid growing up (not too sure if the diary of a Wimpy kid was out then) ☺
That is amazing, we should be neighbors in this case, the same address you mentioned is my address too.
I think I have the most random Wimpy related story ever.
I was living with a tribe for a few days in the middle of Northern Ethiopia. My only companions who weren’t part of the tribe were an old retired British couple. When I told them I’m from Kuwait, the husband said “oh I went on a business trip to Kuwait in 1976. Don’t remember that much from my short trip except that I had a nice burger at a fast food restaurant called Wimpy.”
My eyes shot out of their sockets.
Lol so random
I still cant believe its been 12 years since that building was demolished. Feels like yesterday we used to go have dinner at Hardees and then buy toys from the toy store next door. I think it was alwaleed toy store.
Is Wimpy in Kuwait any good, what is recommended to get from there?
I’ve always known that location as the Hardee’s location for years. I didn’t know there was a Wimpy.
I think later Chicken Tikka opened next to that… I loved live in the flat above – huge apartments & can’t be compared to the matchbox new apartments now…
Yeah Tikka was right behind it!
I miss this street – with lively shops & people walking around everyday. The new owner, who took over those buildings are stuck with such a huge building still under work since years….
Thought it was simular to the wimpy in South Africa that we have. It turns out it’s just local burgers and chips :/.. I might be wrong, was the old wimpy better? They are super famous in South Africa for their burgers and breakfast
That’s exactly what I think as well, I think they just use the branding, however most of the meals are not the same as the UK menu, like they were made up in Kuwait
So strange
For any of you who want a bit of nostalgia food wise, there’s a Wimpy open for business in Nuzha jamia area
I remember that Hardees vividly from the 1980’s. For some reason they had pictures from the soap opera Dallas mounted on the walls. There was one of J.R. Ewing in particular.
We had one at Fahaheel “Souq Al Waratha” aka “Souq Jaber” where now AlKout/Rotana Hotel is.
They had some nice selection of burgers and a really tasty Fish N’ Chip meal not to mention one of the few fast food chains that opened at 7:00 AM and served breakfast meals. Later they had some merger or partership with Tikka Chicken and I can’t remember when exactly they closed down before the invasion or after (I think it was after) and KFC opened in it’s place.
During our time in Kuwait I doubt the Salmeya location of Wimpy’s was still open. Have an ever so vague memory of Wimpy’s in Al Ahmadi, though. The school I attended in Kuwait – Wimpy’s was a running joke among the boys there who claimed anyone who ate there would become a wimpy kid growing up (not too sure if the diary of a Wimpy kid was out then) ☺