Owner of Grubbs Burgers hopes it will ‘live on’ in memories.
The proprietor of a beloved burger business that has closed after nearly 50 years has expressed optimism that it “lives on in the memories and anecdotes of people” in the city.
On Wednesday, a sign on the door of Grubbs Burgers on Western Road in Hove advised customers that the eatery had closed.
“I appreciate your 50-year-long loyalty. Grubbs will always belong to Brighton,” the sign stated, above a giant “thank you” and heart spelled out in napkins.
Oliver Davies has run the restaurant for the past 18 months, following the death of his father, Tim, in 2024.
Grubbs during the 1970s (Image: Supplied)
Tim, who earned his diploma in catering at Brighton Polytechnic, as it was then known, started Grubbs with his wife in 1976 on Western Road.
Originally, the basement was a restaurant where food was served on wooden plates, from a menu offering dishes like spaghetti Bolognese, burgers and banoffee pie.
Grubbs had a paternoster, an “old school lift system with pulleys and belts”. Burgers were made upstairs and automatically sent downstairs on a continuous belt feed to slide along the counter to waiting staff.
“Grubbs was totally unique when it opened,” Oliver said.
“It was genuine and authentic. Bands used to rehearse in the basement sometimes –it was a lot of fun back in the day.
“It was a proper family independent business, I think the oldest independent in Brighton.
Grubbs during the 1980s (Image: Supplied)
“People from all walks of life were made to feel welcome. It didn’t matter if you were homeless, got out of a club at 4 a.m., or had just finished work.
“We created the first veggie burger in Brighton using a biscuit press. “We put peanut butter and chilli on a burger, and everyone said, ‘You can’t do that,’ but it worked.”
“It was hipster without attempting to be hipster; we didn’t have Instagram or Twitter. We opted not to utilise Deliveroo because we did not like the notion of delivery drivers riding bikes.”
Oliver, 43, is a lecturer in advanced clinical practice at the University of Brighton, and he thought it had become “too much” to balance his employment and operating the firm.
“It’s tough,” he conceded. “But it was time to close the doors on a positive note rather than convert them into something else. We had a sad period.
My mother died around Covid, and we closed three shops before my father died in 2024. It has not been an easy time.
Tim Davies with his daughter Nancy (Image: Supplied)
“Since my father passed, I’ve got a lot of people talking about their nostalgia. Someone approached me on the street and told me that their parents took them to Grubbs as youngsters, where they met their spouse, and where they now take their children.
“The last two weeks have been really emotional, and I’m extremely grateful to the people of Brighton for everything they’ve said.
“I’m thrilled with my father’s legacy in Brighton; he is part of the city’s culture and fabric.
“In the goodbye sign, I wrote ‘Grubbs will always belong to Brighton’ because it always felt like it was for the people of Brighton rather than our family.
“I hope it lives on in the memories and anecdotes of people in Brighton.”
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