Bank loan gets Clifton franchise up and cooking
A COOK franchise has opened in Clifton, Bristol after a husband and wife team secured a £70,000 business loan from their bank.
An upmarket frozen food franchise has opened its 40th shop in the UK after a husband and wife team secured a £70,000 business loan from their bank.
Opened by Jon and Amanda Gould in August, COOK Clifton, located on Whiteladies Road in Bristol, is on target to reach £500,000 turnover after a successful first two months of trading.
Family-owned COOK was launched in 1997, making meals for the freezer using exactly the same ingredients and techniques used in home cooking. Its award-winning food is prepared by hand in Sittingbourne, Kent. Each dish is ‘blast frozen’ to remove the need for artificial preservatives and then distributed to stores nationwide.
After looking for a change of career and spotting the opportunity to open a COOK franchise, Jon and Amanda approached their banking partner for the £70,000 they needed to secure and kit-out the shop.
The 800 sq ft store is open seven days a week and employs a total of nine staff. It sells a wide variety of meals that look and taste homemade, including gluten free, family size, microwavable and vegetarian options.
Following exceptional early trading, the couple’s initial expected turnover of £380,000 is set to reach £500,000 in the first full year, and they are considering launching a second shop in the near future.
Amanda Gould, manager and owner of COOK Clifton, said: “Our love of food and our love of the COOK products was the driving force behind the decision to open our own shop. When the opportunity arrived and we found the perfect location, we were determined to launch the franchise.
“Since opening we’ve had fantastic feedback from our customers and the level of trading since August has been exceptional. Launching a franchise is a two-way partnership, and we are extremely happy with our new business and the support we receive from the wider COOK network.
“Our bank’s Relationship Mangager has also been a constant source of assistance. The regular contact we have with him has been instrumental in getting the business up and running and he has guided us through the franchise process from the start.”
The Relationship Manager for the bank said: “Jon and Amanda are a hardworking and determined couple who have worked tirelessly to successfully launch the business.
“With their passion for the product they sell coupled with their day-to-day business sense it’s not surprising that they have enjoyed such strong initial trading success.
“Our bank is on hand to provide the support, guidance and knowledge to help customers navigate the franchise process. Jon and Amanda are now in a very strong position to exceed their projected turnover and look towards achieving their further ambitions.”
