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14
Mar
Owner of popular Harrogate takeaway 'heartbroken' to sell it
The owner of a takeaway sandwich bar with an ardently loyal following in Harrogate has said he is “heartbroken” to have put the business up for sale.
Daniel Bell took to social media this week to break the news, saying that running Thug Sandwich was “no longer sustainable for me”.
He said:
Trust me when I say it was a hard decision, and I am truly heartbroken to close the chapter on the biggest risk I’ve taken in my life.
Unfortunately, working six days a week for well over six years now, along with the toll of running a very busy small business, has reached a point where I feel like it’s no longer sustainable for me.
Speaking to the Stray Ferret, he said that running the business had been "great fun", but:
It's just so time-consuming. Everything's on my shoulders, and there's a lot to do. It'll be nice to spend more time with my family.
Thug Sandwich started trading in September 2018 and the takeaway quickly established itself as favourite with central Harrogate’s lunchtime crowd.
In 2022, the man behind Rate My Takeaway, Danny Malin, visited Thug Sandwich and ordered an onion bhaji scotch egg, a pig in duvet, lamb belly fingers and the Reuben and KFCaesar sandwiches.
Even though he had reviewed more than 200 takeaways, he rated Thug Sandwich the "number one takeaway", awarding it "the biggest 10 I've given so far, just outstanding".
In a Facebook post, Mr Bell, who is a formally trained chef, held out the prospect of Thug Sandwich carrying on business under new ownership.
He said:
Hopefully, someone is willing to take the reins and take Thug into chapter 2. If you think that that is you, or know someone who may be interested in a cracking little business, then please [...] get in touch with our agents, Ernest Wilson.
I’m happy to answer any serious questions for potential buyers.
Asked if he though a new owner would be able to retain his loyal customers, he said:
Hopefully. It'd be nice to recognise someone take the reins and steer it in the right direction. Fair play if they want to start their own thing – I wouldn't blame someone for wanting to put their own stamp on it – but it's a turnkey business ready for someone to carry it on.
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