Derby entrepreneur puts upmarket cafe up for sale

A Derby entrepreneur has put her upmarket city centre cafe/restaurant, Oliver’s, up for sale after two years.

Lisa Bridge is selling Oliver’s so that she can rejoin the family firm Birchover Group full-time

Oliver’s brought the mezzaluna (a light, handmade Italian bread), Pops alcoholic ice pops and several other brands to Derby for the first time. It was also the first official stockist of Nespresso coffee in the city.

Bridge said: “I absolutely love what we’ve built here at Oliver’s. It has always been my dream to have a place where people can come to eat great food, relax and be pampered. Equally important has been creating a place where people love coming to work. I am really proud that we’ve achieved both of those things but, with the phenomenal growth of both Birchover businesses, I’ve had to make the very difficult decision to put Oliver’s up for sale”.

Oliver’s is on Friar Gate in Derby’s Cathedral Quarter. Bridge also owns luxury apartment-hotel chain The Birchover Residences and Birchover Sales & Lettings with husband Carl. In May the Birchover Residences Bridgford Hall opened following a £2.3m refurbishment programme, whilst Birchover Sales & Lettings opened a branch at 20 Fletcher Gate, Nottingham.

With plans to open at least two more apartment-hotels in the next 18 months and an estate agency branch on Queen Street in Derby’s Cathedral Quarter, Lisa Bridge decided to put Oliver’s up for sale.

She said: “Oliver’s is named after our first son, who died at birth in 2003. I had always wanted to remember him in a special way, so it makes the decision to sell that much more difficult and poignant. We see enormous potential in Oliver’s and the Birchover businesses and so I sincerely hope that the new owner of Oliver’s will take on the great work we’ve started. The team are second-to-none and have all committed to staying on because they love the business so much.”