Manchester coffee brand expands with third site
ARTISAN coffee business Grindsmith has opened its third site in Greater Manchester, after trading for just three years.
Grindsmith, which already operates a coffee shop on Deansgate and a pod in Greengate Square, will open its third outlet in MediaCityUK and take on 11 new staff.
The site is its first hybrid operation, changing from a coffee house during the day to a bar serving a selection of wines, beers and meals in the evening.
The business has received a £65,000 loan from Business Finance Solutions (BFS) to make the expansion possible.
Initially launched as a coffee cart in 2013, Grindsmith received a BFS start-up loan to invest in a permanent base, in a small eco-pod on Greengate Square, Manchester. The second unit on Deansgate is located within Rise Manchester, while the new premises are on the main route from the car park to the BBC building within the MediaCityUK complex.
Run by directors Luke Tomlinson and Peter Gibson, the company employs 25 people.
Tomlinson said: “We have created a concept that gives our customers a space to meet, a place to work, and a location to take joy in coffee and, by focusing on quality and delivery, we aim to be the coffee destination of choice for our community.”
Gibson added: “The loan enabled us to move into our first permanent premises last year, the success of which has enabled us to expand into our second and now third premises. We are also looking at further expansion within Greater Manchester and possibly into London within the next few years.”
BFS is the finance arm of the Manchester Growth Company and supported by the GM Combined Authority and Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership. It is an alternative source of funding for small businesses in Greater Manchester. BFS manages over £88m of publically backed small business investments across the UK.
