A first-of-its-kind Shrewsbury restaurant is set to open following a £100,000 investment by a local couple.
Adam and Kelly Lyons are fulfilling a lifelong dream by launching their new venture next week at Traitors Gate in the county town.
The Lyons’ Den restaurant, which has created 12 full and part-time jobs, will specialise in gourmet burgers and made-to-order milkshakes.
“We are very excited about this new enterprise, which has been planned for several years. We have totally refurbished the interior of the former Traitors Gate restaurant in the heart of the town,” said Adam, a qualified chef who was also a policeman in the town for 12 years.
“The fully-licensed premises now has a rustic style with an unpretentious menu offering tasty burgers and delicious milkshakes, creating what we hope will be a fun, family-friendly meal out and something a bit different for Shrewsbury” he added.
Kelly said that she and Adam, who have three children, were aiming to put a British spin on a classic American dish with the Lyons’ Den restaurant.
She explained: “We got a taste for some of the best burgers in the world on a driving holiday across America so we had a dream to open Shrewsbury’s first dedicated burger restaurant.
“Everything is homemade here and we only use fresh, locally-sourced ingredients as Shropshire has so many great food and drink producers, so our menu has a very low carbon footprint.
“We have put our hearts and souls into this venture and the official opening on November 3 will be especially poignant for us as we have invested in it using a legacy from my parents, who sadly both died in recent years. Their memory will be kept alive by this building.”
The couple now have ambitious plans to take the Lyons’ Den brand nationwide.
“Shrewsbury is our home, but one day we’d love to have our burger restaurants in every town and city in the UK. All with the same ethos – using fantastic local produce to make great burgers for the best price,” Adam said.
The restaurant will be open from Monday to Saturday and hopes to host live music events in the future, further details can be found on the website.