Perth opening tops off positive Scottish growth story for Bob & Berts

Independent coffee and food chain Bob & Berts has opened a new store in Perth as part of its expansion across Scotland, with the company now seeking additional premises in the Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness regions.

The company has made a significant investment to transform the former BrightHouse store at 108 High Street into a new coffee shop that reflects Bob & Berts’ relaxed and fun, family-friendly style. It will employ 30 staff and is open 0800-2100, seven days a week.

The site is the company’s sixth in Scotland and further expansion is planned across the UK in the coming months. In addition to sit-in dining, Bob & Berts capitalised on a unique takeaway offering that includes a full cooked breakfast and coffee, attracting many first-time customers during the pandemic who have since become regulars.

Beyond its Scottish sites, the company has also seen rapid growth in its native Northern Ireland, and in England, where the team has opened four sites with a further eight in the pipeline.

Founded in Portstewart in Northern Ireland in 2013 by Colin McClean, Bob & Berts is known for its distinctive style, quality offering and local community focused approach. In 2017 BGF, the UK’s and Ireland’s most active investor, invested £2m in the company which has helped drive its successful expansion into Scotland and England, improve processes across the operation and provide useful sector introductions.

Colin McClean, founder of Bob & Berts, said: “We’ve put a lot into transforming this store into somewhere we can serve proper coffee and great grub to customers in Perth. We take huge care in selecting locations for our independent shops and we are confident the people of Perth will appreciate our distinctive relaxed style, slow batch hand-roasted arabica beans, and extensive hot food offering.”

David Ferguson, co-owner of Bob & Berts, said: “Bob & Berts is at a really exciting moment in terms of growth, and we are now keeping our eyes peeled for opportunities to bring our high quality food and coffee to new communities across Scotland. Perth is our 26th site across Northern Ireland, Scotland and England, and we’re now planning to open a further eight.”

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