Edward Shipp(07840418527) Druid Street, London SE1

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With two spaces in railway arches – Putney and Brixton –they’re serving sustainably-sourced, outstanding coffees to customers across South London.

We really liked the locations being so close to Putney Overground and Brixton Underground and Overground stations, as they had good footfall and access to different public transport options too. They met our requirements and most importantly offered us a captive audience – we see lots of regular customers who are picking something up on their way to work as they commute in.

We love the high ceilings in the arches as that makes them feel much more spacious. In our Putney space, we’rereally lucky to have such large windows, they really let lots of natural light in.

Brixton was interesting as it was a smaller space – but it allowed us to really test the grab and go model, which has proved to be a success there.

What’s been the highlight of your experience with The Arch Company?

We always enjoy speaking to the team – they’re really responsive and take feedback on board too, which is nice. Our Site Facilities Manager is particularly great and has been a really useful contact for us.

We’re always on the lookout for more spaces for our stores. We might even consider making a move north of the river…

We spoke to Pira Balasingham, Co-Founder at Sendero Specialty Coffee about their ever-expanding series of coffee shops. 

Sendero Speciality Coffee

Bringing cocoa from the Caribbean (starting with St Vincent, and now including the Dominican Republic) to loyal customers worldwide, Islands Chocolate is a proudly ethical seed to bar cocoa company.

We moved into our Battersea premises over 3 years ago now. Our previous office was close by and we simply outgrew that space. We liked the area and wanted to stay central whilst having the balance of sufficient space too. We also wanted to find somewhere that could combine both office and warehouse, so the dual-functionality that Linford Street offered in this regard meant it felt like the right fit.

Our office is upstairs and the below the mezzanine is our storage and refrigeration racks. We also have a functional kitchen, which our product development chef can cook up delicious treats to showcase our products to visiting clients.

We do use a third party logistics provider to help with some of our overflow storage, but we’re able to house all of our product line - so most of it we handle ourselves.

We’ve been able to make changes to our space that were necessary for us to function, and these positive changes have really made a difference to how we work.

We started out with chocolate and have moved into powders and butters – who knows what we might do next. The chocolate market can be difficult, but we are proud to make a difference in what we do. Business fortunately is thriving, and we have exciting partnerships in place, with many more to come. We began by supplying some of the world’s best known chefs – and are proud to say we still do. 

Homepage Hero Island Chocolate Linford Street

We spoke to Max Simmons, Marketing Manager at Islands Chocolate to learn more about how their business continues to grow in demand. 

Island Chocolate

We spoke to Tristan, the owner of Little Nan’s Bar about his space in Deptford!

Tell us about yourself and your business.

 is a multi-award winning bar and event space, which first launched in 2013 in a windowless back room of a nightclub on Deptford Broadway. Over the years we have travelled as a pop-up all across London, and we opened up in Deptford Market Yard under two Carriage Ramp arches back in 2016. Moving into the Resolution Way Arches is the next chapter to Little Nan’s, as we continue to serve the Deptford community we love so much, and we spoil all SE London locals with Free Private Hire for events and parties.

What makes a railway arch a good space for your bar?

Coming from Deptford, and running businesses in Deptford in the past, including the Deptford Arms on the High Street, Deptford main shopping and socialising spaces used to be all along the High Street. With the use of arches, you now get more spaces, and the evolvement of more High Streets. I love unique spaces, and a railway arch is the perfect fit for us. I also love the history of Deptford train station, and how it’s the passenger train station in London, and now we are below that.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to a new business owner looking to open their doors?

Know your audience and the area you are opening up in.

Little Nans Bar Deptford_ Customer Case Study

We spoke to Tristan, the owner of Little Nan’s Bar about his space in Deptford.

 Little Nan's Bar

Kayana provides end-to-end solutions across all business areas, to optimise ordering and payments, whether they are online or in-person. 

We knew what we wanted when moving offices – something cost-effective, practical and most crucially, allowing us to have parking in a central location.

The arches suited our businesses needs as it enabled us to have a customer-facing space, our offices upstairs and also more functional spaces that are around the back. Here, we have lots of parking which allows for our engineers to come and goeasily, and receive hardware deliveries too.

We found previously that in a more traditional office space this flexibility didn’t exist – whereas our cluster of arches fits our different needs!

The team know what they’re doing, and it’s seamless. The modification process was really straightforward – we were guided by the team and that made the transition into the space simple.

Ultimately, the biggest positive for us is it’s a cost-effective space in the heart of London, and the company is helpful if we need assistance.

From our inception in 2022, the business has grown rapidly from five to 140 customers by the end of last year. We’ve continued to see this fast growth, and now we’re going international too… We’ll be in 500 locations by the end of 2024!

We spoke to Sarfraaz Patel, CEO at Kayana about his decision to move their rapid growth business from Mayfair to Battersea.

Kayana 

We spoke to Andy Parsons, the owner and CEO of Gym Nation in London Bridge!

I am Andy Parsons, the owner and CEO of Gym Nation on Druid Street, London Bridge. My journey into the fitness industry started 8 years ago when I realised the transformative power it had on my own life, both physically and mentally.

Throughout the pandemic and its various lockdowns, I hosted free online fitness classes for a small community. This was a really tough time for people mentally (including myself!) and was having negative impacts on people physically. Being able to help people through this brought me so much joy and triggered the start of my fitness community (AP Fitness), which really grew after the lockdowns, and it is from this that Gym Nation was born. Gym Nation opened its doors in April 2023. Our vision was to create a space where everyone feels welcome and empowered to pursue their fitness goals. This is whether it’s your first day in a gym or you are prepping for a competition. We know gyms can be daunting to enter, so we pride ourselves on always having a friendly, welcoming face at our reception desk as soon as you walk in. Fitness is for everyone and we believe this ethos extends through to our members who are just as welcoming and approachable as our staff.

Since April, we’ve grown into a thriving community hub, offering a wide range of fitness classes, state-of-the-art equipment, and personalised training options.

What makes a railway arch a good space for your gym?

The arches under the railway in Bermondsey offer a unique and spacious environment perfect for a gym with high ceilings, ample room for equipment, and a cool industrial vibe that motivates intense workouts.

We were attracted to Southwark for its vibrant community and central location, which offers easy access to key areas of London. The area’s rich heritage, diverse population and dynamic atmosphere makes it an ideal place to connect with people and grow a thriving, inclusive business.

What’s some advice you would give to a new business owner looking to open their doors?

Get to know your market, target audience and other businesses that offer similar services.

Location is key to success. Make sure your location aligns with your business needs.

Create a solid financial plan, particularly focusing on cash flows.

Get help from the right people. There are lots of people who have been in a similar position to you and are happy to share their experiences.

Hear from our customers

Sendero Speciality Coffee

Island Chocolate

Little Nan's Bar

Kayana

Gym Nation

Interested in making one of our spaces your own?