Start Up Loan helps Dough & Desserts get a pizza the action
A Stanley takeaway entrepreneur was able to serve up a grand opening for his dream venue’s eager new customers. Support from Business Enterprise Fund (BEF) North East to get a Start Up Loan was the missing ingredient.
When Mohammad Khalaghe left school, he didn’t have much in the way of qualifications. But he certainly did know the value of rolling up his sleeves and getting to work.
Setting his sights on the takeaway sector, he embarked on a 20-year hands-on career of trial and error. By 2016, he’d founded Crusty’s Pizza in Crawcrook, a local favourite serving comforting late-night classics.
But after a decade of success, he knew he could achieve even more.
“I wanted to do something bigger,” he explains. “So I bought an empty building in Stanley, County Durham, that used to be a Barclays Bank. The idea behind Dough & Desserts was to be different from your normal average takeaway. A different level of food. Something people can’t get elsewhere, even in the big city centres.”
Everything was set, but disaster struck within days of buying the property. Extreme weather caused the roof to cave in, which simply wasn’t accounted for in Mohammad’s budget.
He needed finance to fix his premises and still buy the equipment required for his new venture to succeed. Rather than borrow from his business network, he came to BEF North East for a more formal, structured experience.
A five-figure loan, secured through the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme, let Dough & Desserts open on schedule. Opening day saw Mohammad and his team serve over 750 people. Queues stretched hundreds of metres down Front Street, thanks to a special introductory offer.
Creative marketing is still a hallmark of the business, rather than the usual tactic of shoving flyers through doors. Mohammad hosts food challenges which transform the restaurant into an event destination, attracting influencers and competitive eaters.
He speaks highly of his experience partnering with BEF North East. “I can’t fault my Investment Manager, Shannon Donaghy, for any reason. I’d give her 20 out of 10 for communication.
If I got stuck, I’d just say ‘Shannon, I don’t know what to do next,’ and she’d explain everything. One concept after another. Perfect. Fantastic.”
With his brand now trademarked, Mohammad is already planning his next move. He’s being approached by people eager to set up franchised Dough & Desserts restaurants across the North, and even nationwide.
“Unique venues like Dough & Desserts quickly become much-loved community hubs,” says Shannon Donaghy, Associate Investment Manager at BEF North East. “So we were very pleased to be able to help Mohammad realise his vision for what an empty property could become.
“His expertise and knowledge of his industry were clear from the start. This is exactly the kind of venture CDFIs like us are naturally set up to support. By helping create jobs and bringing footfall back to North East high streets, we’re making a huge positive impact.”
Motivated entrepreneurs with big ideas, plus expert local funding support. It’s a simple recipe, but one that’s steadily bringing the sweet smell of success back to the region’s economy.
Shaun Fooy, Senior Network Manager for the British Business Bank, added: “Behind every small business is the drive to bring something new into the community, which is why it’s vital that entrepreneurs have access to the funding and support that they need. What Mohammad has achieved with Dough & Desserts through the Start Up Loans programme is impressive.”
