EXCLUSIVE: What Muffin Break's New Grab and Go Offering Means for their Expansion Plans
Signalling their intent with a new grab and go offering, we spoke to Muffin Break General Manager Lisa Brook about what is in store for the Group.
QSR: Tell us about your new Grab and Go outlet. Why did you choose Birmingham New Street to showcase it? How is it different to your traditional offering?
Birmingham Grand Central is a busy travel hub with over 170,000 passengers passing through each day. The Muffin Break store is situated above the New Street station, where there are high levels of footfall and a pleasant trading environment for retailers. We wanted to introduce the ‘Grab and Go’ service to give a quick and healthy option for people who are traveling and on the go and may not want to spend time queuing.
QSR: What are your plans for opening further grab and go outlets? How many do you plan on opening over the next 12 months? What geographical locations do you plan to open them in?
We are opening stores in Newport, Southend-on-Sea and Horsham soon, all of which will be providing Grab and Go options for busy customers. We are also in the process of identifying existing Muffin Break stores that we could also introduce our Grab and Go counter in. Over the next 12 months we plan to open 12 new Muffin Break stores and we will be looking at many sites in most regions of the UK.
QSR: You’ve mentioned your intention to open in more non-traditional locations such as transport hubs. What is the reason for this?
Brand expansion, growing our market share and increasing customer demand are all key drivers for us. We are keen to extend our reach to wider audiences, hence our recent openings in new locations for us.
QSR: Do you see these locations as the driver for your growth going forward?
Yes, alongside existing store growth and continued product development.
QSR: What are your overall plans for store openings in the next 12 months? What is the expected split between company owned and franchised?
Currently the store split is 85% franchisee owned and 15% are company owned.
QSR: What is your most popular menu item?
The most popular items on our diverse menu are savoury lunch and breakfast items such as toasties, as well as our freshly baked muffins and cakes. In addition, we sell coffee with most of these orders.
QSR: Can you give us some information on your plans for menu innovation and what other brand and product developments you have in store?
We are committed to new product development and this is going to bring some extra excitement into our current muffin range. We aim to keep customers on their toes by regularly changing limited edition muffins and introducing new flavours frequently.
