High profile chef expands vegan cookie brand by opening second English store.
Floozie Cookies, the brainchild of well-known chef Kimberly Lin, has opened its first UK franchise store in Bicester Village. Kimberly created Floozie Cookies during the pandemic, launching the company in Central London on December 5th, 2020.
Since then she has added two further stores in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. And Kimberly has now turned the business into a franchise by opening a second UK outlet at the designer shopping centre in Bicester Village.
Floozie Cookies’s first franchise will be owned and run by Harnek Dharar, who is a 24-year-old entrepreneur. Harnek, whose family have operated a number of franchise stores, is the owner of HSD Capitol. This exciting move follows the success of the brand’s first UK store which opened in Covent Garden a little over three years ago.
The new outlet will operate from a food truck in an area of the Village that attracts a high footfall of shoppers Opened in 1995, Bicester Village is the second most visited location in the United Kingdom by Chinese tourists. And those who purchase cookies from the store will be able to enjoy their plant-based products which are available in a range of flavours.
Floozie Cookies is the brainchild of renowned pastry chef Kimberly Lin who honed her skills at a number of well-known London restaurants, including Claridge’s. All of their deliciously stuffed cookies and drinks are handmade and 100% vegan.
Kimberly explained: “Growing up in Canada, I’ve always loved the simplicity of a cookie, and how it can bring such joy. I remember seeing my first cookie shop years ago and thinking what a wonderful idea it was, but never dreamt I’d have my own.
“Our popular flavours include pecan pie, cinnamon crunch and double chocolate chunk. And we offer a gluten free peanut butter cookie that contains homemade raspberry jam.”
Since opening in Covent Garden, Floozie Cookies has expanded internationally with outlets at Expo City in Dubai, and the iconic Kingdom Tower in Riyadh. Kimberly, the founder of this vegan stuffed cookie brand, admitted: “It’s been a rollercoaster of a journey since we launched in 2020.
“But it’s exciting to see the brand being taken nationally to Bicester Village. We have learned from our original store in Covent Garden that shoppers are always on the look-out for on-the-move treats. So, when the opportunity arose to open our first franchise in Bicester Village, we knew it was going to be a success.”
The company’s inaugural franchisee, Harnek Dharar, is delighted to become Kimberly’s first business partner: “Having come from a family that has been franchising and investing in hospitality brands for years, I’m excited to take on my own venture.
“I love the simplicity of Floozie Cookies. They manage to perfectly balance this vegan offering without overwhelming customers with the label of being plant-based. The launch of the truck has been hugely successful so far, and I’m eventually hoping to scale up and take over multiple sites for Floozie Cookies.”
However, none of this would have been possible without the input from Game Changers Investments (GCI). Launched in 2020, and based in the Hertfordshire town of Bushey, Game Changers Investments assists hospitality companies to grow their businesses.
Game Changers operate at a global scale, providing a platform for brands to develop and expand. Andrew Clover, the development director at Game Changers Investments, says: “Teaming up with Harnek Dharar to open Floozie Cookies in Bicester is exactly what we were created for.
“We bring together talented people with chef-led brands to scale-up at world-class locations. The franchise store in Bicester Village is the first UK-based outlet for Floozie Cookies, with Harnek keen to expand across multiple sites.
“The franchising of Floozie Cookies has been facilitated by GCI. And I’m proud of our work as a hospitality incubator which brings together entrepreneurial talent. We aim to create opportunities for new brands and investors to launch and grow.”
About Game Changers Investments: They offer a 360-degree approach, including the securing of financial investment, operational support and marketing. They seek to continually grow their portfolio of investors and brands, and have assisted Floozie Cookies to become a leading vegan dessert business.
