Custom-made pizza specialist GO Food targets London for expansion

23-Nov-2012 - Last updated on 23-Nov-2012 at 09:27 GMT

The success of GO Food's Spitalfields site has ignited the group's expansion plans across London

GO Food, the custom-made pizza concept created by Tim Entwistle and James Hoole, will focus on expanding further across London next year after experiencing a positive response to its Spitalfields site.

The company, which offers customers custom-made stone-baked pizzas and flatbreads in three minutes, has traditionally operated in the north of England. Its first site opened at John Lennon Airport in Liverpool in 2008 with sites at the Arndale Centre in Manchester and The Meadowhall in Sheffield following.

However, Entwistle told BigHospitality that Londoners had responded so well to the Spitalfields site it opened in May that the company is now firmly set on continuing expansion across the capital.

"Our restaurants do very well in shopping centres because of the high footfall, but since we've opened in Spitalfields we have decided that company growth will be very much focused on London," he said. "It's very difficult in the north because people are very brand orientated and like to see established brands, but what we've seen in London is that people love independents and love to see something different from the norm.

"I know a lot of companies start in London and then go out to the rest of the country, but we've done it the other way around. We've actually changed our brand since opening at Spitalfields and are rebranding our existing sites to be more like our London one."

London expansion

GO Food's London expansion plans will start next month with the opening of its fifth site in Chiswick. Entwistle said the company planned to add another two next year, subject to finding the right sites.

"The idea, as a company, is to keep growing in London, depending on the success of Spitalfields and Chiswick of course. We have no outside funding and have grown organically, it's just myself and James, so it means we have to be careful," Entwistle said.

GO Food's latest site will be based on the Spitalfields blueprint, allowing customers to choose from a range of gourmet ingredients - from prosciutto to pulled steak, goats' cheese and sun blushed tomatoes - to top their pizzas or flatbreads. However, it will be larger, offering 45 seats (Due to its location Spitalfields has very little table space).

The Chiswick restaurant will also sell Monmouth coffee, which was introduced at Spitalfields and has 'gone down a storm' according to Entwistle.

"Monmouth Coffee is an incredible company, but it's very difficult to persuade them to let you sell it. We have been allowed to, but only in our London branches," he said. "It's great for us. The quality of the product is fantastic and they train our staff every two months, so we have top quality baristas working in our sites."

GO Food also offers delivery and is in the process of adding a private dining and meetings service.