Yorkshire Meatball Company eyes expansion
The Yorkshire Meatball Company, which bills itself as the UK's only specialist meatball bar and restaurant, is looking to expand to Leeds, York and other cities.
The business, started a year ago by father-and-son team Dave and Gareth Atkinson, is based in Harrogate and serves a range of meat, fish, vegetarian and sweet "balls".
Despite the fact that the pair had no prior restaurant experience, they claim to have achieved a first-year turnover in excess of £330,000. As a result, they are now looking for investment to allow them to expand into major cities, as well as launch a "premium retail offering".
Co-founder Dave Atkinson said: "Harrogate has a thriving foodie community but the competitive market presents a challenge for new independent restaurant businesses to stand out. That said, Harrogate has been the ideal location for launching and refining our concept, which is intentionally a concise and focused offering.
"We've developed a model with good operating margins and attractive growth prospects. Having served over 66,000 balls to more than 22,000 customers since launch and with a first year turnover in excess of £330,000, we're now looking towards further developing the business and securing investment for expansion into high footfall areas of Leeds, York and cities further afield (we'll even consider Lancashire!). Indeed, we have already had a tentative enquiry from an overseas visitor about licensing the concept in their own country."
The business won "Newcomer of the Year" in the 2014 Harrogate Hospitality and Tourism Awards, as well as being named the "Yorkshire & Humberside Winner" in the Big Start Up Loans competition, a government-backed initiative for new businesses. It was also named the "Restaurant of the Year" in the national Startups.co.uk awards.