At the lower end of the franchise market, £20,000 typically secures a licence, a territory map and a launch plan. What it rarely secures is a business that banked sales last week. An exception has just appeared in East London.
The deal in brief
On offer is the first food truck The Knot Churros ever opened, pitched at Gallions Reach Shopping Park in Beckton and priced at £30,000 with stock taken at valuation on completion. Monthly sales run between £8,000 and £10,000, every piece of equipment needed to trade is included, and the operation is open every day of the week, from 10 in the morning until 8 at night Monday to Saturday, with a shorter 11am to 5pm Sunday.
For context, commissioning the same setup new through the franchise runs to roughly £85,000 in fees and build costs before a single churro is sold. This buyer inherits a working version of it for well under half that figure.
Why East London works
Gallions Reach is a busy open-air shopping park in Beckton where no one pays to park and shoppers visit all week round. For an impulse-led dessert product, that sort of passing trade is the whole game, and this pitch has already proved it can deliver. Occupancy costs are modest for London, with rent of £14,500 a year and no separate electricity or water bills to pay.
Behind the brand
The Knot Churros started out in London in 2019 and built its name on a simple idea, desserts designed to be photographed. It is the business that invented the churros afternoon tea, has partnered with Disney, Care Bears and LOL Surprise!, whose first official UK dessert range landed in its stores this August, and speaks to an audience of more than 200,000 social media followers, with single videos clearing 8 million views. Beyond Gallions Reach, the network takes in the Metrocentre in Gateshead, including a café inside Peppa Pig’s Surprise Party, Gallagher Retail Park in Wednesbury, and a site in Malta.
The day job
New owners are trained by the franchisor on products, equipment and service before taking the keys, with head office on hand afterwards for marketing, supplier deals and performance reviews. The unit currently runs on employed staff, the largest single cost in the business, so the returns improve sharply for a buyer who plans to work the truck personally. Beyond the daily trade there is untapped ground in birthday bookings, corporate catering and the delivery apps.
How to enquire
The Franchise Consultant is managing the sale on behalf of the franchisor and will share full particulars, including verified trading figures, with qualified buyers. Enquire through the brands Franchise Local listing.