Product Description

Every year, the UK public buys more than 2.5 billion sandwiches, with a retail value of around £3 billion. Opening a sandwich bar is an obvious route into this lucrative industry, but the start up costs and shop lease commitments can be frightening. Fortunately there's a cheaper and simpler alternative.

The easiest way to enter the sandwich trade, without spending a fortune, is by starting a sandwich round business. This can be defined as a mobile vehicle that calls at businesses on a daily basis, at set times and usually at the same spot, selling sandwiches and other food to hungry workers.

The biggest investment is the van, and even that can be purchased second hand from around £3,500 However, just owning a van doesn't create the business, other issues also need to be addressed.

Can I run the business from home?
What about the Hygiene rules?
How do I find customers?
What if other sandwich vans already operate in the area?
Should I buy a new or used van?
How do I buy a good second hand van?
How much profit can I make?
How do I create the labels?
Is it possible to fit out a commercial kitchen at home?
What equipment will I need?
What hours should I operate?
What to put on the menu, and what to avoid?
Should I buy an existing round, or franchise?
Where do I find the right suppliers?
What about employing a driver?

These subjects and much more are covered in Andrew Johnson's new book in which he shares his knowledge and experiences gained over many years in the sandwich trade - with the aim of helping you to establish a profitable sandwich van business.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #154719 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 204 pages

From the Publisher
If you're thinking about starting your own mobile sandwich delivery business then the information contained in this book could be invaluable. This is one author who doesn't skimp on the detail.

From the Author
I have been involved in the sandwich trade for a long time now, and I have seen the business from both sides of the fence, first with sandwich rounds, and then with shops.
I aim to share my experiences, good and bad, with the intention of making your journey easier, hopefully showing you the advantages of starting a sandwich round in preference to another business type.

This book concerns the specifics of starting a sandwich round business using a sandwich van. The only references to bookkeeping, accountants or tax law that you will see are where those matters directly apply to the business itself. For example hygiene law is covered because it's specific to the food industry.

You won't find 50 pages on writing a business plan, or finding a lawyer. There are umpteen books on Amazon concerning general business issues. It's not my intention to pad out the book on those topics. What you will find, is the gritty detail of starting or buying a sandwich van business.

About the Author
Andrew Johnson spent much of his working life repairing and installing computer hardware, before giving up the day job and starting his own business. Dabbling with ideas as diverse as picture framing and tyre fitting, he eventually decided to buy a van and start a sandwich round. Two shops and three sandwich vans later, he has written this book to guide anyone else thinking of following the same path.

Customer Reviews

Very helpful
Found that writer has put down his mistakes and areas that could have been or were problems - so helpful to read about these so as to not make same mistakes. When I was doubting my decision about going into this business the book allieviated my fears/doubts, and although the pitfalls have been put down the book is very positive.
Thanks for renewing my enthusiasm!

Good detail and very informative, but only from one business owner's view
I am planning to start a sandwich round in the near future and got this book to get ideas about where to start, menus, pricing, and the health rules.

The content is laid out very clearly and it's easy to follow. The potential problems and risks are explained as well, with quite a lot of examples from his own business, basically he tries to steer you along a smoother path by avoiding the mistakes he made.

What I liked about the book :

1. Lots of detail about the business, from choosing a van to suppliers, labeling and market research and what you need to do to make sandwiches at home.

What I didn't like about the book:

The book is written by one person and his ways of doing things. There is nothing about what the rules are in other countries, so you don't know what its like to start a sandwich business in Europe or Australia for example.