A chain of charity sandwich shops is hoping to open its first branch in the north-east, thanks to a £200,000 investment from Scottish entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter.
Social Bite already runs four stores in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The “social business” donates 100% of its profits to charity and helps people off the streets, with one in four of its workers formerly homeless.
Now the Scottish couple who founded the organisation – Josh Littlejohn, 28, and 24-year-old Alice Thomson – have revealed they plan to expand into Aberdeen and Dundee.
Mr Littlejohn, who studied politics and economics at Stirling University, said: “Me and my girlfriend Alice were running an events management company when I read a book by Professor Muhammad Yunus about the concept of a ‘social business’.
“He invested in companies in India for social wealth rather than personal wealth. After a few weeks we visited him in Bangladesh, where he gave us a tour of the companies he had invested in, and we were inspired.
“At the time we were working in a little office in Glasgow on George Street, and we’d go have lunch at the likes of Greggs or Subway or Pret a Manger all the time, so we had the idea of creating a ‘social business’ around a sandwich shop.
“We’re looking to open a store in Aberdeen just after the new year, with Dundee following soon after.”
The company is currently generating about £2,000 a month from its four branches for various charities, including Shelter, Microloan Malawi and eye care operations in Bangladesh.
Alongside employing the homeless and donating to charity, Social Bite also offers a “suspended purchase” scheme, which allows customers to buy a meal for a homeless person to take up at a later date.
Sir Tom Hunter said: “Josh and Alice are an inspiration and are at the forefront of the social enterprise movement in Scotland.
“I believe government needs to take a long hard look at how businesses like Social Bite can be incentivised further.”
To find out more, search for Social Bite on www.indiegogo.com.