Healthy fast food chain Pod set to reach 23 sites
Healthy fast-food retailer Pod is set to reach a total of 23 sites, as it opens two new outlets next week.
The company has already opened a new store in Monument, and is set to open more following its acquisition earlier this summer of Cafe Mana. Cafe Mana had three sites, one of which Pod has already divested.
Pod chief executive Tim Hall said he had plans for more openings in the coming months, as the company moved closer to its aim of having 50 sites by 2015.
The brand has undergone rapid expansion since it was founded in 2005, particularly since 2011, when it secured £3.5m in funding from investors. In May last year, the business had just nine sites.
"One of the curiosities of Pod is that we don't do much PR, we don't tweet, we're not on Facebook. What we are really concentrating on at the moment is trying to build a great estate - focusing on the business and focusing on the menu," Hall said.
Hall said it would be hard to predict what effect the Olympics would have on its stores, all of which are located in central London. However, he expected the ones that sat in tourists areas, such as its Cheapside site near St Paul's Cathedral, to do well. He was unsure of the impact the games would have on other sites in the City, where tourists were less likely to visit, especially because some office workers employed in the area may decide to work from home to avoid congestion.
Pod to open 16 more London sites after raising £3.5m investment >>
The Caterer Interview - Tim Hall >>
By Neil Gerrard
E-mail your comments to Neil Gerrard here.
Catererandhotelkeeper.com jobs
Looking for a new job? Find your next job here with Catererandhotelkeeper.com jobs
