Challenger Chats

Bobby Hashemi: Coffee Republic, Pizza Union, and the case for going slow Challenger 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 timestamps 01:14 | 🇮🇷 Growing up in Iran, and a smuggled Big Mac 04:56 | 💡 The real "lightbulb moment" — and starting Coffee Republic 07:31 | ☕ The first site nearly flops (and a lucky break next to Vogue House) 08:40 | 👫 Building the business with his sister, Sahar 12:23 | 📸 Fame, scrutiny, and life as a public-company founder 15:21 | 🔁 Crossing over to private equity with Luke Johnson 19:32 | 🎯 Advice for founders considering private equity 21:15 | 🍕 Where the idea for Pizza Union came from 25:14 | ❓ Why pizza, and why now 26:15 | 💰 Keeping prices low without cutting quality 27:58 | 🛎️ The case for counter service 29:30 | 🔄 Doing it again: more cautious, or more confident? 31:56 | 🐂 Growth discipline vs. speed — the In-N-Out Burger playbook 36:38 | 🗺️ Site selection: the real make-or-break decision 40:48 | 📊 The KPIs Bobby actually watches 44:24 | 🤖 Where AI fits into the business today 49:43 | 😅 The hardest part of being a founder-CEO 52:44 | 🔮 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 night 57:37 | 🐢 The best advice he's been given: "slowness is a superpower" 59:04 | ⚡ Quick-fire round 1:03:09 | 🌟 Has his definition of success changed? 1:04:08 | 🔜 What's next for Bobby and Pizza Union Links: Our fantastic show producer is Fina Charleson. Find out more about her work at https://www.finacharleson.com Pizza Union: https://www.pizzaunion.com/ Bobby Hashemi: http://www.unionven.com/people.html Sign 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

A conversation with Nisha Katona MBE, Founder and CEO of Mowgli Street Food and best selling recipe book author. Nisha has built one of the UK’s most exciting restaurant brands in Mowgli. It has blossomed into a business of scale with a loyal and cult fol