O’Briens Sandwich Bar launches its first store in Livingston tomorrow (Wed 7 Sept 05), as Lee Fish marks the first venture into franchising for his company, Fish Food, with the opening of a new sandwich, coffee and juice bar at Almondvale Shopping Centre. This is the first of three local outlets in the planning for Fish Food, which is employing 12 full and part time staff, plus manager Audra Baxter, to make up the team at this, the 40th outlet for O’Briens in Scotland.

The Livingston outlet opens as the sandwich and coffee bar franchise completes a significant investment in a new concept store design and menu, offering customers more choice than ever before. As part of the new O’Briens offering, Lee is introducing a colourful juice bar offering healthy real fruit juices, smoothies and detox drinks, the first of its kind in the area. It complements the brand’s Guilt Free Food and Low Fat Five ranges.

With ample seating, the outlet is situated opposite HMV within the Almondvale centre and also provides a takeaway service where orders can be made up in advance for speedy collection. A comprehensive office and outside catering service also operates from a separate preparation unit within the centre. It provides a wide variety of platter options to serve the thousands of business in the area, as well as private occasions, catering for five people upwards. Free refrigerated delivery will take the outside catering to the heart of the community.

A Law and MBA graduate, 31-year- old Lee was a financial manager with Marks and Spencer, when he met wife Gill, a personnel manager with the retailing giant. The couple live in Edinburgh with their three children Nick 4, Lois 3 and two-month old Kathryn. Since Gill took a break from business to raise the children, Lee has worked in marketing and product development for Prudential and Standard Life Investments. They set up Fish Food together to develop their own business interests, turning to franchising for it’s tried and tested ideas.

Commenting on their choice of an O’Briens franchise, Lee said: “Having worked for large companies all our lives, we were eager to run our own business. Neither of us had a killer idea and, combined with the family commitment, we decided to look at the expertise on offer from a franchisor and its network in order to hit the ground running.

“I’d met the O’Briens team at a national franchise exhibition in the spring and was immediately hooked by the concept and specifically the quality of the rebranding that had just been completed. O’Briens offers more sociable hours than the pizza and pub franchises and, above all, is a very flexible brand with wide appeal.

“Bottom line is that O’Briens makes great food, great coffee, has great staff and a great atmosphere, all coupled with a Guilt Free Food menu and juice bar that are tempting to the more health conscious customer. I like to think of O’Briens as a coffee café but with much better food!”

Lee was immediately attracted to the Almondvale Shopping Centre location and its neighbour, McArthur Glen, where he will open the second outlet next month. Fort Kinnaird Retail Park will be next on the agenda for Fish Food’s expansion plans later in the year.

Commenting on the opening, Nick Young, managing director of O’Briens Sandwich Bar UK said: “Having someone with Lee and Gill’s experience is a real bonus to our team of franchise partners and to the brand, and we are delighted to welcome them to O’Briens. They are driving the most rapid opening programme we have seen to-date by a franchisee, which reflects their competence and determination to succeed.

“The Livingston opening comes at an exciting time for O’Briens. Although a brand leader and one of the fastest growing retail franchise chains in Scotland, we wanted to move away from an understated presence of quality and character and make a bigger, bolder statement.

“Our new concept is the result of much innovative work on food concept development, while building on the many positive perceptions of the brand, such as our main point of difference - a made to order offer with food prepared in front of the customer.”

As reflected in expansion plans, which will see five further outlets open before the year end in Scotland, the new concept is expected to make the O’Briens offer a much more appealing proposition for customers while proving a bit hit with existing and new franchisees.

Welcoming O’Briens to Almondvale Shopping Centre, Paul Marsh, centre manager, said: “It is great to have the strength of the O’Briens brand on board. It brings a new dimension to our food and drink offer here at Almondvale, which we are sure will prove very attractive to our customers.”

O’Briens at Almondvale Shopping Centre is open from 8.30am to 5.30pm, Mondays to Saturdays, until 7pm on Thursdays, and 10.30am to 5pm on Sundays. Advance orders for collection and outside catering for delivery can be made by contacting Lee, Audra and their team on tel: 01506 441114, fax 01506 441119, email: Livingston@FishFood.uk.com. Special discount vouchers are being distributed to shoppers and businesses in the Livingston area during the first few weeks of business to give customers the chance to sample the O’Briens offering.

More information on O’Briens, including franchising opportunities, is available by calling Freephone UK 0800 97 38 88 or at www.obriensonline.com.

ENDS

More about Fish Food – www.FishFood.uk.com (coming soon!)

Fish Food was spawned out of an idea by Lee and Gill Fish, who wanted to take control of their work-life balance by establishing their own business. With O’Briens, they have ambitious expansion plans including two further openings at McArthur Glen and Fort Kinnaird, following hot on the heels of the Almondvale launch. Gill is providing back up support to the team using her HR skills to manage employees and finances. Store Manager, Audra Baxter, who, from working throughout the UK, Middle East and Africa, brings ten years of catering experience to the team, will play a pivotal role in making these expansion plans a reality.

Lee’s skills at evaluating business and marketing opportunities for some corporate giants are being put to good use as Fish Food rapidly develops its O’Briens franchises in the east. As well as the new outlets in the planning and the development of its outside catering business, Fish Food will maximise the O’Briens business model looking at opportunities with coffee carts in neighbouring office complexes.

A happy coincidence, the company names ties in with the FISH! Theory as demonstrated at the famous Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle. By being truly great with people – not to mention a bit of fish juggling! – they have put fun and enjoyment into an otherwise dreary job. The Fish Market has shown Lee and Gill just how much fun this type of work with customers can actually be. They are committed to making working and dining at O’Briens just as rewarding for everyone.