THE entrepreneur behind the iCafe coffee shops is confident the group's first outlet outside of Glasgow will be a success and indicated further expansion on the cards.
Umer Ashraf said the Kilmarnock site, based on King Street in the centre of the town's shopping area and which formally opens on March 30, is the first step towards growing the company outside of Scotland's largest city.
He said: "We wanted to move out of Glasgow and develop the brand regionally so have been looking at other towns.
"The reason we selected that particular site [in Kilmarnock] was there was nothing there that offered what we do and I believed it would be a really good thing for the town."
The store, which is being run by franchisees, will create an initial 11 jobs which means the company will employ 45 people across its operations.
According to Mr Ashraf the new design and fit-out, featuring reclaimed flooring and wood, is something of a flagship for the company.
The idea is to create something which is "young, dynamic, energetic yet it has that warmth and cosiness".
He said: "All those things would be how we would describe an iCafe so the shop fits must reflect that going forward."
In addition Mr Ashraf is planning for a further Ayrshire iCafe with Irvine currently at the top of his list.
He feels the business would benefit from another site in the area as its supply van, which provides cakes and other food from its central kitchen in Glasgow, will be making daily runs to make sure the Kilmarnock cafe is fully stocked.
Along with supplying the iCafes that kitchen facility also sells its products to a number of independent cafes in and around Glasgow.
Mr Ashraf said: "I am in talks at the moment in Irvine and due diligence is underway to see whether we want to go in there.
"We would definitely like to have another one in Ayrshire as obviously our van is going out every day to deliver so logistically it makes sense to have another one [there].
"Irvine seems to be a town where the coffee culture is growing.
"That is based upon the shortlist of towns we did have around that region but also some feedback we have been getting since we did Kilmarnock."
The company overhauled its Woodlands Road outlet in Glasgow last month with the Sauchiehall Street iCafe the next one slated for refurbishment.
Mr Ashraf said the business is funding the recent investment, which is running close to six-figures with the Kilmarnock opening and revamps of existing outlets, from its own cash flow and profits.
The 30-year-old said: "We don't like being in debt.
"The thing with new concepts is that if you are making new iCafe's in 2015 then the ones which opened in 2009 and 2010, then you need to get them updated as well and that is what we are doing."
Mr Ashraf opened the first iCafe in 2005 on Great Western Road and was named entrepreneur of the year at the Scottish Asian Business Awards in 2012.
Earlier that year he appeared on the BBC television show Dragon's Den to pitch for investment and secured a funding promise from Duncan Bannatyne.
However Mr Ashraf remains the full owner of iCafe according to its most recent annual return filed at Companies House.
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