Ugot, the healthy eating concept, is eyeing a site in Manchester to open in 2015 as the brand moves to high street locations as well as transport hubs, M&C Report has learnt.
The company founded by Joe Cornell and business partner Jamal Edwards has secured site in Harrogate, Leeds and Newcastle. Harrogate will be the first city centre store, followed by Leeds, to bring the brand out of purely transport hubs.
Carnell told M&C: “Stations are great to launch a brand and have high footfall so great for a young brand but it’s hard to be product or market orientated with such a quick turnaround of customers.”
With a customer base made up of commuters and passengers educating people about new products and the health benefits of the diets Ugot promotes is limiting but Cornell feels the business will prosper in city centre locations where diners can spend longer in the stores.
“We do get the message across but we want to take it to the next level and engage with people. We have the model now and it’s time to take it to town.”
Ugot currently has property agents looking at sites in Manchester to bring the concept to another city before looking south to London where Cornell is looking to open a cluster of sites to launch in the capital from 2016 onwards.
At present there is a central kitchen and distribution centre to serve the sites across the north of England so the logistics are in place to operate more sites away from London.
