A fast food restaurant has opened in a former pub, creating 30 jobs.

Burger King opened its doors at 80 High Street, Gillingham, on Tuesday this week. The popular chain has taken over the former Edge bar which closed in January last year.

The imposing building at the junction of Skinner Street and Canterbury Street, was once the Prince Albert pub which dated back to the 1850s. The pub closed in 2004 and was reopened as Edge bar in 2007.

The arrival of the 38-seater restaurant and takeaway has created 30 full and part-time jobs.

Leandro Gasparin, general manager for the area, said: “We are excited to expand the Burger King brand in this important market, and look forward to welcoming guests in Gillingham to experience the great-tasting, high-quality products that have delighted Burger King guests for 60 years.”

Noreen Smith, operations director for Burger King’s umbrella group Karali, added: “We are thrilled to be opening a Burger King restaurant in Gillingham. We look forward to great success at this location and to serving the community for many years to come.”

Burger King has more than 600 branches across the country. In November last year it became the first fast-food chain to be allowed to sell alcohol in the UK after a successful bid for a licence for its branch in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, followed by Waterloo in London. But subsequent applications for some London branches have been turned down.

Burger King already has three branches in Medway – in Chatham High Street, at the Dockside Outlet Shopping Centre and at the M2 services in Gillingham. A branch at Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre closed when the old food court shut as part of the centre’s redevelopment.