In these environmentally aware times few of us may think there's a future in Coal but ex Ma Potter's boss John Gater is the exception.
Gater, who has already pulled off the Eskimo-and-snow-style trick of selling Coal to the Welsh with the launch of the first of the casual dining restaurants in Cardiff in 2006, is back on the expansion trail having sold his Ma Potter's chain to Cafe Rouge owner Tragus earlier this year.
The casual dining market is a beast but Coal, the first of which is in London's Wimbledon (the Cardiff site went to Tragus and is being rebranded as a Bella Italia) looks to have what's needed for success and Gater appreciates that he needs to move fast.
Financing is in place for as many as 14 sites in the next two-plus years and having just met Gater and his operations director Andrew Keen there's a palable sense of excitement.
The money - around £6m - is in place and the board of the new company is coming together. So who knows, Coal could be raising the temperature on a high street near you shortly.
