TWO dads who started a side hustle in their back garden now have a thriving business after finding a "gap in the market".
Chris Pickup and Mike Sproston, from Sittingbourne, Kent, opened The Grumpy Dads Grill after visiting a local fete and thinking they could cook up some better grub than the competition.
After cooking in the garden during lockdown the pair set up their mobile takeaway business, Grumpy Dads Grill, in January 2021.
Speaking to KentOnline Chris said: "All of this started shortly before the pandemic when the two of us were just guests at a local village fete, and we were looking around at some of the food there and thinking we can do this, but even better."
When the lockdown rules were relaxed, Chris and Mike set up the business after getting "lots of positive comments on Instagram" from people asking to buy their food.
Since they launched Chris and Mike have been cooking up a storm at various festivals and events across the region, and now have even bigger plans.
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The duo are moving into premises, and turning part of The Warden Bay pub in Warden, near Leysdown into a family-friendly restaurant, complete with a new children's play area.
Chris said: "Inside the pub, they have a big commercial kitchen that we are going to take over, and we are going to turn just under half of their seating area into a sit-down restaurant.
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"Ultimately we're called The Grumpy Dads Grill because we both have young children ourselves, so it's really important that we provide an atmosphere that is suitable for kids and parents."
Whilst they have big plans for the restaurant, the pair still plan on offering takeaways and hope to recruit some staff to help with the extra workload.
Chris said: "We feel there's a gap in the market for a dirty, hearty American burger and that's why we sell box meals like the Smash Box which has four burgers, fries, BBQ wings, onion rings and coleslaw in it – things like that have been really successful.
Top tip when setting up a business
Make a business plan
A good idea isn't always a great business idea.
Consider what your business is for and what differentiates you from the rest of the market as well as the costs and how much money you could make.
This is helpful so you know what you are working towards and also can be used if you are applying for a loan.
Bryn Glover, editor of small business website Startups.co.uk, said: "Whatever your business, you need to know your market like the back of your hand.
"An entrepreneur I know once spent three months working as a waiter in Brighton to get a better feel for the market before he launched his own restaurant on the beachfront."
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