A UNIT that has been empty in the city's Cathedral Square will finally open as a burger restaurant within days.

Leading fast food chain Five Guys is set to open its first restaurant in the county on Monday.

Five Guys will be based in Cathedral Square, Worcester, serving custom burgers and milkshakes as well as chips cooked in peanut oil.

City councillor, Adrian Gregson, said: “The development at Cathedral Square has proved very successful and it was unfortunate the unit where Five Guys is now based, was empty for a number of years.

“There are ups and downs to chain restaurants but I welcome it to the city and it demonstrates a national interest in Worcester’s day and nighttime economy.

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Cllr Gregson joked: “I’ve not been into a Five Guys yet but I’ve been to all the other American restaurants so I’m sure I’ll be visiting at some point to sample the menu.”

Sharon Smith, CEO at Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, said: “It is fantastic to see restaurant giants, like Five Guys, seeing Worcester as a destination to expand and invest in.

“Despite the uncertainty for businesses in the wake of the latest Brexit happenings, Five Guys’ move to the city brings with it the welcome news that more rural cities are still seen as attractive to tourists outside of the UK.

“The continued growth of Worcester ensures that the county remains a great place to live, play and do business, by attracting visitors from nearby towns and further across the pond.”

The restaurant will open on Monday September 9 and up until then, the nearest Five Guys restaurants are in Birmingham and Brierley Hill.

Five Guys opened its first store in the UK in 2013 and now has 95 stores across the country.

The unit in Cathedral Square has been empty since the development opened.

It was originally set to be Byron Burgers but the chain pulled out in 2018 blaming 'restructuring' for its failure to open the store.