NORTHERN Irish coffee shop chain Bob & Berts plans to open 20 outlets in Scotland, creating around 400 jobs, after securing £2 million of finance from the Business Growth Fund.
Mohan Mansigani – a former chief finance officer at Costa Coffee and Casual Dining Group - is joining the board of Bob & Berts as non-executive chairman.
Bob & Berts was founded by Colin McClean, father Arnold, and brother-in-law David Ferguson in Portstewart, with a focus on quality coffee and fresh food. It already has 16 outlets in Northern Ireland.
It plans to add a total of 30 stores over the next four years, creating up to 600 full and part-time jobs, including the 20 outlets planned in Scotland as well as anticipated openings in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Bob & Berts expects to open its first Scottish stores in the central belt in coming months.
A Business Growth Fund (BGF) spokeswoman said the focus would be on market towns, rather than cities, and the first openings in Scotland were likely to be on the west coast.
Gemma Hamilton, who is based in long-term equity finance provider BGF’s Edinburgh office and is responsible for identifying and executing investments in central Scotland, is joining the board of Bob & Berts.
Patrick Graham, head of BGF’s central Scotland and Northern Ireland team, said: “We are excited to begin working with Colin and David who, in a short period, have successfully developed a strong brand with significant growth potential. This investment, along with the introduction of Mohan, will help unlock their desire and drive to expand significantly in the coming years and we look forward to partnering with the business for this journey.”
BGF was set up by the UK Government, with financial backing from the major banks, with the aim of helping fast-growing small and medium-sized businesses through the provision of equity finance.
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