Benjys looks to franchising to drive expansion

Sandwich bar operator Benjys is seeking franchisees to fuel a massive expansion of both its sandwich stores and its delivery van service across the UK.

The group wants to grow its current base of 65 sandwich bars to more than 200 outlets by the end of 2006 in order to grab a bigger slice of the £3.5b sandwich market.

It also intends to expand its franchised fleet of delivery vans from 40 to 500 over the same period.

The market for mobile sandwiches, which targets "captive audiences" in industrial parks, is believed to be worth £400m.

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The company's ambitions will mean opening sandwich bars at a rate of one a week, and signing up four or five "vanchisees" each week. Most Benjys sandwich bars are currently company-owned and located in London, apart from two branches in Birmingham. The only franchised venues are in Portsmouth, Romford, and Basildon, Essex. The van operation, which is wholly franchised, largely operates in London. However, a recent drive in the West Midlands has signed up 20 more franchisees in Birmingham and Coventry and the regional search has now shifted to Wolverhampton. by Angela Frewin Buy this week's *Caterer* magazine for more industry news and analysis