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Sundays: Roasts beat recession as restaurant eyes expansion
EVERY day is like Sunday at David Beever's Peterborough city centre business.
EVERY day is like Sunday at David Beever's Peterborough city centre business.That's because it's called Sundays, a traditional roast restaurant and takeaway which is open seven days a week.
And after four and a half years of trading in Cumbergate, David has plans for setting up two new sites, in Northampton and Lincoln.
When I spoke to him towards the end of a typically busy weekday – the Peterborough shop closes at 5pm – he was upbeat about his prospective ventures, albeit with planning glitches to overcome.
David was also keen for the weather to cool down; roasts don't fare as well in warmer weather. The business does offer salads, though sales volume is nothing like the roasts.
Sundays has proven successful, and even after year three, David was confident of looking at other sites.
He is "almost certain" of an October opening for the Northampton business, which is situated in a central location.
"It will follow the same format as Peterborough, but will be over two floors and have twice the seating area," said David.
"There will be later trading hours, until 8pm, and it could create up to 12 jobs."
The Lincoln site, smaller than Peterborough, though in a good location, offers "great footfall" with easy access for students. There is the possibility of eight new jobs at the site.
However, at the moment, due to "battling with planning/EHO and the restrictive size of the unit" difficulties, there are no timings for its opening.
David, who grew up in a Lincolnshire farming community near Sleaford, worked in the fashion industry in London for about 10 years before his career shift. He saw an opening for roast rolls as an alternative to the typical fast food fare.
He wanted to put healthy English slow-roasted fast food on the menu. The bulk of produce used in the business comes direct form the farm.
And, with father Keith's hog roast business KB's as an impetus, David's bid for the Cumbergate site was successful.
The first two years were "a learning curve", but by the third year Sundays was in profit.
The counter business in Cumbergate employs six full-time and four part-time staff, and is "in synch with the socio-economic climate the nation finds itself living through".
David explained this referring to its "environmental credentials (low food miles, extensive recycling system, farm to fork supply chain), healthy eating, real traditional meals with no additives, fast and convenient service and, most importantly in these times, the price is fair and reasonable.
"Furthermore, in regard to the current climate, from a business perspective it's good to see landlords finally being realistic with rents and premiums.
"Two years ago, finding restaurant A3 premises without a premium – even when taking over from failed operations – and for a rent that the business could bear was very difficult – despite the fact even then 60 per cent plus of new restaurant openings weren't making it to year two."
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Weather for Peterborough
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North
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Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North east
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