Opening your first store is a huge milestone. Opening a second? That’s a whole new challenge. We catch up with Angus, founder of healthy grab-and-go food brand Bewliehill, one year after launching his second site near Liverpool Street Station. His story offers practical lessons for small business owners thinking about expansion.
Knowing When You’re Ready
For Angus, the decision to open a second store wasn’t just about finances.
“We reached a level of profitability on our first site in Islington and had an investor onboard. But the real turning point was proving the concept, to myself as much as anyone else. I felt confident the time, money, and energy I was investing in the business could be scaled into something bigger.”
Key takeaway: Ensure your first location is profitable and that you’re confident the business model can scale before expanding.
Deciding on Which Location to go for
Location was critical. Bewliehill’s main target customer is office workers, so the City made sense. Grab and go food businesses in the City typically do well on weekdays but poorly on weekends. The change in working habits have since meant 5 days of good trade are no longer guaranteed.
Liverpool Street ticked several boxes and being near Spitalfields would drive footfall on weekends and possibly offset their concerns. They researched the site in detail, visiting on different days of the week as well as weekends to try to model the site and gauge turnover.
“We did a whole load of financial modelling, but in hindsight it all seemed fairly pointless — the real numbers were so different to what we forecasted.”
Tip: Financial projections are useful, but real-world results may vary — be prepared to adapt.
The Cost of Expansion
The Liverpool Street property came in shell condition, which meant higher costs:
“We had no flooring, ceiling, or plasterboard walls. The landlord gave six months rent-free and contributed some capital, but we still bore the brunt.”
Funding came from a new investor, who exchanged equity for capital, giving Bewliehill the resources to move forward.
Launching with Impact
Marketing a new store is never easy. Angus used grassroots tactics: flyering, reaching out to local offices, discounts, and free items.
“I wish we did more before launching. The bigger our following grows, the easier it will be to build buzz around future sites.”
Since opening, Bewliehill’s Instagram following has doubled, from 1,500 to over 3,000.
Highs and Lows
Opening a second store brought both challenges and triumphs.
- Low point: Early sales were disappointing despite promotions.
“People weren’t finding us, sales were well below expectations and it was a really stressful period.”
- High point: Nine months after opening, record sales.
“In May we had our best day ever — £3,200 in sales. That was the moment it felt absolutely worth it.”
Understanding Sales Patterns
Sales at Bewliehill reflect the rhythm of London office life:
- Busiest times: Tuesday–Thursday, 12–1:30pm
- Quieter days: Mondays and Fridays, weekends closed
- Seasonality: March–July strongest, August quiet, winter slower due to lower salad demand
Managing People Across Multiple Sites
Running multiple stores comes with staffing benefits and challenges.
“It’s helpful having a bigger pool of employees to cover shifts. But responsibility sits heavily on the site managers now, so recruiting well for that role is essential.”
Tip: Invest time in training and hiring strong store managers early, to ensure smooth operations.
Angus’s Advice for Other Business Owners
Angus shares his top three pieces of advice for those considering their first or second store:
- Know your product and costs inside out.
Understand exactly how each unit is made and its cost. - Invest in marketing early and consistently.
Build a following to activate when opening new sites. - Think beyond location.
Footfall matters, but so does customer flow through your space.
Final Thoughts
Opening a second store was harder than Angus anticipated, but also incredibly rewarding and invaluable in terms of the learnings. His journey highlights some of the challenges of scaling a healthy grab-and-go business in London.
Read more about how Angus went about finding and securing his second site in the city here.
