THE OPPORTUNITY

Granny's Sandwich Shop is one of Rugby's most recognisable independent food businesses. With a trading history spanning more than 80 years, it occupies a rare position in the local market, a business that people are genuinely attached to, and one that carries the kind of community goodwill that simply cannot be manufactured.
The current owners, Brian and Karen Adam, have run the business for the past five years. During that time they have modernised the equipment, maintained an excellent food hygiene record, built a growing corporate catering client base, and preserved the warmth and identity that has kept customers coming back for decades.
The decision to sell is personal rather than commercial. The business is operationally sound, the customer base is loyal, and the foundations for the next chapter are firmly in place.
This isn't just a sandwich shop. It's a local institution, and a serious commercial opportunity for the right operator.

WHY NOW IS THE RIGHT TIME TO BUY

The food and hospitality sector is evolving fast, and independent businesses with genuine community identity are increasingly rare and valuable. Granny's sits at an interesting intersection: it has the heritage and loyalty of an established institution, but also genuine untapped potential that the next owner can unlock.
The corporate catering pipeline is already building, recent board meeting buffets for local businesses, council contracts, and community events demonstrate real demand beyond the daily counter trade. The after-school opportunity is visible and unaddressed. And the social media potential of a business with this much local recognition has barely been explored.
Whoever takes this on is not starting from scratch. They are picking up something with decades of goodwill already behind it, and then deciding what it becomes next.

ABOUT THE BUSINESS

Trading History
Granny's has been a fixture of Rugby's food scene for more than 80 years. It is one of the few genuinely long-standing independent food businesses in the town centre, and carries name recognition across multiple generations of local residents.

Current Operations
The business currently operates Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 14:30, and Saturday 08:30 to 13:30. These hours reflect the current owners' lifestyle choices rather than the full potential of the premises, there is clear scope to extend trading, particularly into the after-school and early evening period.
Daily trade includes a consistent coffee offering, approximately 100 cups per day, alongside freshly prepared sandwiches, baked goods, cakes, pastries, and fruit platters. The business has a partnership with a local independent baker, and currently fills a genuine gap in the Rugby market given the absence of a dedicated bakery in the town.

Corporate and Event Catering
This is one of the most significant growth areas of the business. In recent months, Granny's has delivered a series of board meeting buffets for local corporate clients, worked with Rugby Borough Council on community events, and catered for private functions including wakes and celebrations. This pipeline is growing and represents a higher-margin revenue stream with strong repeat potential.

Customer Base
The customer base is loyal, diverse, and well-established. The business has a strong weekday trade from local workers and residents, a pensioner segment that is particularly loyal and generous, and a community following that extends well beyond the immediate vicinity. Several customers have been regulars for many years.

Food Hygiene
Granny's holds a five-star food hygiene rating, its third consecutive award at this level. Compliance records have been fully digitalised and are maintained to a high standard.

PREMISES AND EQUIPMENT

The Building
The shop occupies a characterful ground-floor premises in Rugby with strong street presence and natural footfall. The building has genuine visual personality, the kind that translates well to social media and creates a memorable customer experience, and is well known locally.
The premises have been well maintained by the current owners and present in good order throughout.

Equipment
The majority of the equipment was replaced or upgraded approximately three years ago, supported by a COVID-era business grant. The kitchen is largely fitted with stainless steel equipment and presents in excellent condition.

Included in the sale:
• Commercial coffee machine (Binker) producing approximately 100 cups per day
• Commercial fridge units (four in total)
• Stainless steel counter and kitchen surfaces
• Commercial sinks (new)
• Touch screen point-of-sale till system
• Full complement of kitchen and service equipment
• All fixtures and fittings

Lease
The business is offered on a leasehold basis. A new lease will be negotiated directly with the landlord as part of the transaction, on terms broadly consistent with the existing arrangement. Prospective buyers should make their own enquiries as to the lease length, rent, and other terms they wish to negotiate.

FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The following financial information has been provided by the sellers and their accountants. Prospective buyers are encouraged to undertake their own due diligence and seek independent financial advice. Full accounts will be made available to serious buyers who have confirmed their interest in principle.

Asking Price Offers Over £30,000
Annual Turnover (2024/25) £121,597 (up from £116,307 prior year)
Adjusted Net Profit* Approx. £14,000 (see note below)
Rent £6,050 per annum
Trading Hours Mon–Fri 08:00–14:30 | Sat 08:30–13:30
Daily Coffee Sales Approx. 100 cups per day
Employees 5 (average, including directors)
Tenure Leasehold — new lease to be negotiated

The statutory accounts show a net loss of £1,196 — but this figure includes £13,618 of directors’ remuneration and £1,360 of non-cash depreciation. Add these back and the adjusted net profit is approximately £14,000. A buyer who extends trading hours, grows the catering pipeline, or reduces owner drawings will improve on this immediately.

Full accounts are available on request to confirmed interested parties following a signed confidentiality agreement. Please contact us to arrange a confidential discussion. *Adjusted net profit adds back directors’ remuneration (£13,618) and depreciation (£1,360) to the statutory net loss of £1,196. This figure is provided for guidance only. Buyers should seek independent financial and legal advice and verify all figures through their own due diligence.

GROWTH POTENTIAL

Granny's is a business being sold at a point where its foundations are strong but its ceiling has not been reached. There are multiple credible growth levers that the current owners have not had the time or appetite to pursue fully, and which a new operator is well placed to act on immediately.

Corporate and Event Catering
The catering pipeline is already generating repeat business from local companies and the borough council. This is a high-margin revenue stream that scales well with relatively modest additional investment. A focused outreach to Rugby's local business community, of which there is a significant and growing base, could substantially increase this income within the first year.

The Bakery Gap
Rugby currently has no dedicated independent bakery. Granny's already works in partnership with a local baker and sells bread to weekend customers as a result. A new owner with the appetite to formalise and expand this offer would be entering an uncontested local market.

Extended Trading Hours
The shop's current hours reflect the lifestyle of the outgoing owners rather than the demand that exists. The proximity to a secondary school and a recently opened nursery makes an after-school offer an obvious and immediately actionable opportunity. A new product, a pizza slice, filled focaccia, or similar, priced to compete with chips and positioned for that window could generate meaningful incremental revenue with limited additional cost.

Social Media and Digital Presence
This is perhaps the most significant untapped opportunity. The building has strong visual character, the name is memorable, and the local community is engaged. A business like this with 80 years of history and a compelling daily food offer, is a natural fit for short-form video content. The reach that creates translates directly into footfall and catering enquiries. It has barely been started.

Delivery
The business does not currently offer delivery or use third-party platforms. For an operator with the systems and appetite to pursue it, this is an immediately available revenue channel, particularly for the lunchtime corporate market.

WHO SHOULD BUY THIS BUSINESS

Granny's is not the right business for everyone. But for the right person, it is a genuinely exceptional opportunity. We have identified two primary buyer profiles, either of which could take this business forward in a compelling way.

The Entrepreneurial Operator
Someone with lower personal overheads, perhaps in their twenties or early thirties, digitally fluent, and looking for a business with a brand already built into the fabric of a community. This buyer sees the social media potential immediately. They understand that 80 years of recognition is an asset that would take years to manufacture from scratch. They have the energy and instinct to extend the hours, develop the catering arm, and put the business on a trajectory it has never been on before.

The Community or Social Enterprise Operator
A local organisation, charity, church group, or social enterprise looking for a community anchor with an established income stream. The existing ethos of the business, its warmth, its regulars, its role in local events, makes it a natural fit for this type of operator. Volunteer labour would help manage wage costs, and the purpose-driven dimension of the operation could open doors to grant funding that a private buyer could not access.
The right buyer for Granny's is not searching for a sandwich shop. They are looking for a business that already means something, and a platform they can build on.

EPC Rating E