Slim's Healthy Kitchen
Belfast healthy eating venue founded 2013 by Gary McIldowney, with a frozen yoghurt and juice bar alongside meal plans. It reached eight sites within a couple of years before a 2017 CVA forced six closures. The first franchise opened in mid-Ulster in 2018 and expansion continues.
About Slim's Healthy Kitchen
Belfast-based casual, contemporary venue with a focus on healthy dishes, including a frozen yoghurt and juice bar, also selling meal plans and retail goods. Founded in 2013 by Gary McIldowney, it had grown to eight sites a couple of years after opening, and was eyeing expansion in Scotland, but was forced to close six branches in 2017 following a CVA and a reorganisation of the business. McIldowney said: "I'd taken my eye of the day-to-day game and had my eye on the prize at the end of it.” It now has three sites in Ireland and also operates collection services out of several gyms in the country. In January 2023, Slim’s secured a £500,000 retail deal which saw its range of prepared meals rolled out across the Musgrave network in Northern Ireland, with more 50 stores currently carrying its lines. In July 2023, McIldowney launched a new “prepped meal” pick-up and delivery service called Freshly Prep’d, which offers freshly prepared meals to be picked up from designated collection points or delivered across Ireland. In November 2023, Slim’s announced a “milestone” retail deal with The Henderson Group, which operates more than 400 stores in the country. Slim’s is part of the Follow Leisure Group, which also operates Output, Canteen, Market and District cafes across Belfast.
Why franchise with Slim's Healthy Kitchen
- The first Slim’s franchise opened in mid-Ulster in 2018, and the company is looking to expand further. Owner and founder, Gary McIldowney, said: “While Slim's Healthy Kitchen was still a concept, I travelled all over the UK and Europe looking for inspiration. I found plenty of healthy eateries but I couldn't find a single outlet that matched my vision, or the level of innovation I knew could be achieved. That vision is stronger than ever, and is continuously evolving. To take Slim's to the global market, I need partners who share the same drive and passion – to take it there, I need people with skin in the game. The food sector is fierce, fast-moving and unforgiving, and our customer make up is diverse, but we know what works for the brand and its now loyal customers.”
Request franchise information
Your details go straight to the Slim's Healthy Kitchen franchise team. There's no cost to enquire.