Rivals' new beef with Gold Brothers over burger bar deal

Published on Monday 18 January 2010 09:18

ROYAL Mile souvenir shop kings the Gold Brothers have snapped up another prime property after buying the lease of a burger restaurant.

The takeover of Wannaburger, on the High Street, means the Singh family, who trade as Gold Brothers, are thought to own at least 11 shops in and around the Royal Mile.

Their latest move has prompted fresh complaints about the growing number of bargain basement souvenir stores on the street.

The Singh family have built up a multi-million-pound business after starting out with a single market stall in East Fortune, East Lothian, in the 1970s.

The cut-price kilts and kitsch souvenirs they sell have earned them the nickname the "kings of tartan tat".

Wannaburger owner Jon Clemence said he had decided to sell up to concentrate on his other restaurant on Queensferry Road.

He said: "We were offered a lot of money for the leasehold and the Gold Brothers and I struck a deal we were both happy with.

"I admit it is a bit of a shame and I don't like the fact the Gold Brothers dominate the Mile, but it's not something I can dwell on. We are looking to expand the other Wannaburger and make the service quicker.

"The Royal Mile shop is closed now and is being re-fitted. It will not be a restaurant anymore."

Paul Wedgwood, owner of the Mile's Wedgwood restaurant, said he was exasperated by the sale.

He said: "This is a complete overkill and enough is enough. I thought the Royal Mile was really pulling its socks up in terms of the diversity of businesses but now we're looking at another tacky souvenir stall when we've already got enough."

Mark Davidson, manager of Cadenheads Whisky Shop, said: "Being the best Mile for tourists in the whole of the country, is another of these shops the direction we want to go in? This is not quality and not something the nation can be proud of. We are seeing the dilution of variety and diversity."

Conservative councillor Joanna Mowat called for the local authority to develop a strategy for the Royal Mile and city centre.

She said: "You can't interfere with a private business selling to another private business, but do we really need another souvenir shop?

"This is something the council needs to look at. They should have some sort of retail strategy for the whole of the city centre. They need to consider if they have got the balance between local residents and tourists right."

Galeb and Dildar Singh of the Gold Brothers declined to comment.