Challenger Chats

Bobby Hashemi: Coffee Republic, Pizza Union, and the case for going slowChallenger Chats is back with a vengeance🔥! Trust us when we say, this one is a cracker (or more like a spicy diavolo)... as we sit down with Bobby Hashemi, founder of Pizza Union, one of London's most-loved pizza brands 🍕 and co-founder of Coffee Republic ☕, the brand that helped kickstart the UK's coffee shop revolution in the 90s..From leaving Lehman Brothers to co-founding and subsequently floating Coffee Republic, then crossing over to private equity, Bobby has been there, done that, and has got the t-shirt. Now, twelve years into building Pizza Union, his philosophy has shifted - he's convinced that slowness, not speed, is the real founder superpower.Bobby shares his journey - the highs, the hard-won lessons, and why doing it in a more considered way the second time round means doing it better.Guest: Bobby Hashemi, Founder, Pizza Union  Host: Adam Spencer, Tamweel Capital🔑 Key takeaways🐢 Slow is a superpower. Bobby's single biggest lesson from doing this twice: the ability to say no, and to grow only as fast as the business needs to, beats chasing scale for its own sake.🍕 Simplicity is the moat. Pizza Union sells 15 pizzas and three salads — full stop. That focus is what lets it undercut the market on price without cutting quality.🧑‍💼 Founders aren't always managers. Bobby's candid on this: the skills that build a business aren't the same skills that run one, and that's fine.📍 Site selection is the real risk. Not financing, not marketing — it's picking the right four walls. Bobby's rule of thumb: could the site plausibly do 10x its annual rent in sales?🤖 AI is a thought partner, not (yet) an operator. Useful for a lean, founder-led business like his; he's happy to let bigger players test kiosks and AI ordering first.❤️ Success looks different at 55 than at 35. Financial milestones gave way to a simpler measure: health, honesty, and doing work he loves.⏱️ Chapter timestamps01:14 | 🇮🇷 Growing up in Iran, and a smuggled Big Mac04:56 | 💡 The real "lightbulb moment" — and starting Coffee Republic07:31 | ☕ The first site nearly flops (and a lucky break next to Vogue House)08:40 | 👫 Building the business with his sister, Sahar12:23 | 📸 Fame, scrutiny, and life as a public-company founder15:21 | 🔁 Crossing over to private equity with Luke Johnson19:32 | 🎯 Advice for founders considering private equity21:15 | 🍕 Where the idea for Pizza Union came from25:14 | ❓ Why pizza, and why now26:15 | 💰 Keeping prices low without cutting quality27:58 | 🛎️ The case for counter service29:30 | 🔄 Doing it again: more cautious, or more confident?31:56 | 🐂 Growth discipline vs. speed — the In-N-Out Burger playbook36:38 | 🗺️ Site selection: the real make-or-break decision40:48 | 📊 The KPIs Bobby actually watches44:24 | 🤖 Where AI fits into the business today49:43 | 😅 The hardest part of being a founder-CEO52:44 | 🔮 Will Pizza Union still look the same in 20 years?54:56 | 🧭 The long-term plan for Pizza Union 56:12 | 🌙 What keeps him up at night57:37 | 🐢 The best advice he's been given: "slowness is a superpower"59:04 | ⚡ Quick-fire round1:03:09 | 🌟 Has his definition of success changed?1:04:08 | 🔜 What's next for Bobby and Pizza UnionLinks:  Our fantastic show producer is Fina Charleson. Find out more about her work at https://www.finacharleson.comPizza Union: https://www.pizzaunion.com/   Bobby Hashemi: http://www.unionven.com/people.htmlSign up for Tamweel News and Insights: http://eepurl.com/dPXN3z 

Challenger Chats is back with another deep dive into the world of game-changing brands! This time, we sit down with Steve Grocutt, founder of Cornish Bakery, to uncover the incredible story behind one of the UK’s fastest-growing bakery brands. With a firm belief that “Bakery is the new Coffee Shop”, Steve has built a business that has redefined what a bakery is, does and can be. Cornish Bakery is a modern bakery creating beautiful, welcoming, community spaces where people can relax, connect, and enjoy exceptional, freshly made food and coffee.  From its humble beginnings in Mevagissey, Cornish Bakery is growing fast with a current trading estate of 66 stores and counting, in bustling tourist hotspots, charming market towns, and vibrant city centres across the country. Its formula? Authenticity, quality, and a deep understanding of what today’s customers want. Steve shares his journey - his bold vision, the lessons learned along the way, and what it takes to build a standout hospitality brand that is shaking things up on the high street. In this episode we explore: ✅ The origins of Cornish Bakery and what inspired Steve to start ✅ The challenges of scaling while maintaining quality and culture ✅ The secret ingredient behind Cornish Bakery’s success ✅ How he dealt with letting go of the reins and transitioning from ‘Founder CEO’ to ‘Founder Investor’✅ What’s next for the brand and its continued expansion  If you’re passionate about entrepreneurship, hospitality, or simply love a great brand and founder story, this episode is not to be missed! Links:  Fairgame: https://thecornishbakery.com/  Sign up for Tamweel News and Insights: http://eepurl.com/dPXN3z Our fantastic show producer is Fina Charleson. Find out more about her work at https://www.finacharleson.com

Roll up, roll up to the latest instalment of Challenger Chats, the podcast that showcases the movers and shakers behind the UK's best and brightest Challenger Brands. We’ve made it to the very satisfyingly numbered Episode 2, of Season 2…In the hot seat is none other than Richard Hilton. A brandophile through and through, he started his career by hawking his CV to the advertising agencies on New York’s Madison Avenue, eventually returning to the UK to found ground-breaking gym brand Gymbox, followed by one of London’s busiest competitive socialising venues Fairgame. Richard has raised debt, mezzanine and equity finance, bought out his investors (twice!) with the war scars to back it up. We have a wide ranging chat covering the worlds of brand marketing, entrepreneurship, fundraising and Richard’s development as a CEO and leader.Dial up the volume, kick back and enjoy!   Links:  Fairgame: https://www.wearefairgame.com/  Sign up for Tamweel News and Insights: http://eepurl.com/dPXN3z Our fantastic show producer is Fina Charleson. Find out more about her work at https://www.finacharleson.com

Season II of Challenger Chats has officially landed! A collection of raw, unfiltered conversations with the movers and shakers behind the UK's best and brightest Challenger Brands. Kicking off Season II in style, we’re thrilled to have Rod McKie in the hot seat - one of the UK’s most experienced hospitality operators with a resume that reads like a who’s who of the hospitality world – cutting his teeth at TGI Friday’s, subsequently working alongside industry legend Julian Metcalfe at Pret a Manger and then spending 14 years at the helm of Welcome Break. For the past decade he’s shared his experience and insights with several of the UK’s hottest hospitality brands, either as non-exec director or Chair, working with the likes of Megan’s, Sticks ‘n’Sushi, rhubarb and New World Trading Company.  So, if you’re an aspiring non exec, or just want to listen to a captivating story, then you don’t want to miss this one. Dial up the volume, kick back and enjoy!   Links:  Megan’s: https://megans.co.uk/ New World Trading Company: https://nwtc.uk.com/ Sticks‘n’Sushi: https://sticksnsushi.com/ Welcome Break: https://www.welcomebreak.co.uk/ Rhubarb Hospitality Collection: https://rhchospitality.com/  Sign up for Tamweel News and Insights: http://eepurl.com/dPXN3z Our fantastic show producer is Fina Charleson. Find out more about her work at https://www.finacharleson.com

In this seventh episode of Challenger Chats our host Adam Spencer is joined by Nisha Katona MBE, Founder and CEO of one of the country’s hottest Challenger Brands - Mowgli.   After a 20 year career as a Barrister, Nisha took a leap of faith, a massive career pivot and threw her hat in the hospitality ring with the opening of her first Mowgli restaurant in Liverpool. Mowgli is now one of the UK’s fastest growing restaurant brands, with a current stable of 18 sites across the country. Nisha is also a successful author of multiple bestselling recipe books, she sits on the Government’s Hospitality Council and has a blossoming broadcast career, having most recently joined the Great British Menu family as a judge on the upcoming series.  In this chat we talk through Mowgli’s back story as a brand that was built utilising the power of social media, Nisha’s fundraising journey and building a structure post-investment that allows CEOs and founders to thrive, and how our recipes are so prescribed and specced, that it’s like creating paracetamol.  Dial up the volume, kick back and enjoy!   Links:  Mowgli: https://www.mowglistreetfood.com/ Nisha: https://nishakatona.com/  Socials: Mowgli on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mowglistreetfood/ Mowgli on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mowglistreetfood/ Mowgli on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mowglistfood Nisha on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/nishakatona  Sign up for Tamweel News and Insights: http://eepurl.com/dPXN3z Our fantastic show producer is Fina Charleson. Find out more about her work at https://www.finacharleson.com