The Phat Pasty Co

It’s Phat!

‘Phat’ is hip hop slang meaning ‘sexy and cool’, and Laura Clark believes that she has found a lucrative business that is both of these.

Laura Clark was looking for a business idea that could fit around her lifestyle as a working mum. Having worked in the restaurant and catering industry all her career, she wanted a business of her own to set up and operate. Supported by her husband, Paul, who has been in franchising for fifteen years, she has developed a ready-made business that can be operated by franchisees working from home, delivering handmade traditional Cornish pasties, homemade soups and freshly made sandwiches, baguettes and smoothies.

Having spent nine months creating the business, operating systems and recipes, the first Phat Van was launched in Milton Keynes, adding a second Phat Van six months later with a tremendous response.

Laura comments: ‘We set up the business without any prior advertising and within just two weeks we were making sales of double our initial projections. The second Phat Van followed the success of the first and this convinced us that others could follow our recipe for success.’

Two years on an Laura and her husband operate 5 Phat Vans from a small lock up facility in Milton Keynes. With daily rounds serving over 150 businesses each day, they have further expanded a thriving buffet / office lunch business.

The business has now been fully developed as a turnkey franchise package, with a detailed operations manual, product recipes, route planning system and a full, two-week training program, both in Milton Keynes and at the franchisee’s location, ready for their launch.

The Phat Pasty Co is targeting over 50 new franchised Phat Vans in the next three years and is recruiting and selecting suitable franchisees throughout the UK, with prospective franchisees spending a day with them in Milton Keynes getting a first hand experience of what is involved.

At the centre of the concept is the unique and distinctive Phat Van, produced exclusively for The Phat Pasty Co. The Phat Van has been modified to include both an oven to bake off the pasties and a chill unit to display sandwiches, baguettes and drinks as well as salads, soups and smoothies. Finally, it has been transformed into a campervan look-a-like, to give it the distinctive Cornish surfer look and identity.

Laura says: ‘We are absolutely delighted with how the van has turned out. Looks are deceptive: although it is only small, we can cater for over 250 hungry customers and with the ability to cook and display 10 varieties of pasties we can offer a great hot snack that is unique. Our customers love the van and we’re selling out of pasties every day.

‘The customers love the homemade items that we sell and everything has been set up to give a highly professional image to the customer. With low overheads the profitability is fantastic.’
Laura continues: ‘This is a fun and quirky business and has brought a smile to the face of everyone who has seen it. Delivering from 9am–1.30pm each day, the business is designed to operate over a five-day working week, providing a great income from a ready-made business. Enthusiastic franchisees who want to take the van to shows, fetes and sporting events can also operate over the weekends. This really is a great, flexible business. With low start up costs, low overheads and a cash business, there are no customers to chase and it’s cash positive from day one. In the first four months I made over £15,000 in profits!’

The Phat Pasty Co. does not believe in percentage-based fees – with a fixed weekly fee of just £150 the opportunities are endless. And for those wishing to grow the business, multiple Phat Van territories are available.

For any info see the web site http://www.phatpasty.com/