The North East founder of healthy eating brand Kettlebell Kitchen has relaunched her North East franchise with a new look and name, after losing the firm she set up.
Carley Jones, from Newcastle, set out on a mission to take on global fast food chain McDonalds with her healthy fast food phenomenon in 2016 when she first opened clean eating company Kettlebell Kitchen.
Within its first year it was turning over more than £1.5m and making a profit of £200,000. It quickly grew to three popular gym-themed restaurants in Greater Manchester, where Ms Jones now lives, as well as a meal preparation business.
At the start of the year Ms Jones – who was North West Woman of the Year in the Rising Star category of the Celebrating Women in Business Awards – also opened a separate franchise at Quorum Business Park, North Tyneside.
But Kettlebell Kitchen Ltd and Kettlebell Kitchen Services Ltd were put into liquidation in February after some of the firm’s North West sites became unprofitable, and the business – together with the name – was then bought from liquidators by new owners.
Two restaurants remain in operation under the Kettlebell Kitchen name, as well as a meal prep service, but Ms Jones is no longer involved in the business.
Despite being devastated to have lost the business she founded, Ms Jones is now pouring her energy into relaunching the North Tyneside franchise, which was unaffected by the liquidation.
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For the last two months she has worked on creating a new brand, Hustle & Heart, which will still have a healthy focus but aims to appeal to a wider range of customers.
Ms Jones said: “I was devastated when the business went into liquidation – I lost everything. It was gut wrenching. I can’t say too much about the whole process but I am taking further action. “The first trigger for the liquidation was acquiring the meal prep business Soulmate Food. We were told there were hundreds of customers but there were only about 30 – but we had taken on all the staff so had this huge wage bill. It haemorrhaged money.
“Secondly, we had opened four sites but soon realised we were cannabilising ourselves, with the restaurants just taking customers away from each other. There were too many stores.
“When it was first announced that the business was being being liquidated people thought the Newcastle , Quorum one was closing too, so despite having a really good start it took a hit.”
The new brand marks a move away from the gym-based theme of the former business.
Ms Jones said: “The whole gym buff, fitness fanatic theme is, I think, getting a little burned out now and there’s so many newcomers opening all the time with a similar clean-eating theme. Some aren’t lasting six months.
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“So I’ve created Hustle & Heart. I’ve decided to tone down the restaurant and soften it, with a brand that’s all about the heart – keeping a healthy heart as well as doing things from the heart and soul – drive and passion.
“Before, it was very bold, brash and clinical but I’ve listened to feedback and softened it with more colour, lots of pinks and yellow, and added a classy graffiti wall. And there won’t be the booming music from before but a much more mellow atmosphere.
“I’m hoping to bring in every day people – the girls who want to go out for lunch with a glass of wine, to those who want to run in and get a proper box of healthy food made up on the spot to take away.”
The restaurant launches tomorrow with discounts for people to try its new menu.
