Tossed

About Tossed

Healthy food concept Tossed was originally founded in 2005 by Vince McKevitt, and by 2019 it had grown to 35 and appointed former finance director Neil Sebba as managing director. An early adopter of technology, Tossed was the first restaurant chain or retailer in Europe to go completely cashless, in 2016. In 2015, the company completed the sector’s biggest equity crowdfunding on Seedrs and in 2018, acquired its direct competitor Vital Ingredient.

However, in December 2019, a CVA was approved for Zest Food, the trading company of Tossed and Vital Ingredients, and in July 2020, the parent company filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators. Later that year, Tossed was acquired out of administration by Sebba and Angelina Harrison, Zest Food’s former commercial director.

Sebba said: “The past six months have been impossible for foodservice in London, and to see Zest go into administration in July was extremely difficult for everyone concerned. Angelina and I are delighted to be given the opportunity to save this wonderful brand.” The new company began reopening Tossed’s stores in March 2021.

In July 2023, by which time the Tossed estate has grown back to 12 stores, Harrison said she went from managing a team of five in a head office of 18 to managing nobody in a head office of five, and doing all the work she used to sign off. “In some ways, it’s refreshing, and it’s made us all incredibly efficient because if something’s not worth doing, we don’t, as we don’t have the time or capacity,” she said. “It’s made us super-focused and hyper-dynamic in terms of what we do, and the goal of getting the business to a place where it’s sustainable going forward.”

In April 2024, Tossed expanded out of its central London heartland for the first time with an opening at Chiswick Business Park in west London. Sebba said: “Diversifying outside of central London is something that has interested us for some time. We believe there’s a clear demand for our freshly-made-to-order healthy and delicious food with a wider audience, and the local interest in this opening certainly suggests that’s true.”

Later that same year, Sebba told the Propel Multi-Club Conference: “When we decided we were going to buy the brand we said we’d give it three years and see where we’re at - it’s four years now and we seem to be generating a stable, sensible level of profitability at last. We have all but completed our original business plan, so now we’re starting to think what next looks like.

“With Chiswick Park, we’re testing the water to see what outside London looks like. With a team of five, we can’t scale outside of London, so we’ll need to go through another step change if that’s what we’re going to do. But we have a really nice dynamic and need to think really carefully about where we take this next. We’ll also need to look at our financing structure because being owner-managed with some friends and family investment isn’t going to take you to that level of growth.”

In December 2024, Tossed told Propel it has had its best year of trading for the 12 months to 29 September 2024, with record sales and profitability. Sales grew 22% to £9.07m and the company posted adjusted Ebitda of £378,000 for the period, up from £53,000 the previous year.

In January 2025, the then 13-strong Tossed said it is to go down the franchise route once more as it eyes national presence. Sebba said: “As we look around the country, we see huge demand for a healthy alternative in the quick service fast-food market and strongly believe Tossed is ideally positioned to solve this.

“Prospective partners will need to be ambitious on their growth plans but must note that we have extremely high operating standards. All our stores have five-star environmental health officer ratings, and we will expect our franchisees to operate to the same level.”

Tossed signed its first franchise partner in April 2025 and targeted opening 50 franchise stores over the following four years. The company partnered with Goldbean, led by Badar Zaman, a hospitality operator with 20 years multi-site franchise experience with Costa Coffee, with a first site under the new agreement opening in Nottingham.

Sebba told Propel: “We are delighted to sign Badar as our first franchisee. We feel he is the perfect fit for us - his regional knowledge, experience and enthusiasm will be invaluable to ensuring Tossed’s success as a platform for his further expansion. We received extremely positive local feedback from the public in Nottingham, and we’re excited to be opening our first store there. This promises to be the first of many - we are targeting 50 franchise stores to be opened over the next four years, and Badar is an ideal partner.”

Tossed secured its first airport debut in May 2026, at Gatwick, scheduled to open in November 2026, and that same month said it is now targeting tier one cities outside London after Nottingham proved to be a “good testing ground”.

Sebba told Propel. “Nottingham was deliberately targeted as not one of the massive cities and so gives us better data on what lands than if we’d just opened somewhere like Spinningfields (in Manchester), which is just like London. University towns will suit us well, and we’re targeting tier one cities outside London. The likes of Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Cardiff are on the radar, but it’s about phased growth and not scattergun, so the franchisees can grow successful businesses, and we don’t flood the market.”

Why franchise with Tossed

• ✓Tossed’s versatile model operates across spaces from 200 to 2,500 square feet. Its modular, lox-complexity kitchens are designed to maximise returns while maintaining operational simplicity across high street, food court and travel hub locations.
• ✓Each site is designed strategically for high footfall and vetted through a rigorous data deep-dive to ensure strong local delivery demand and local appetite. From initial site analysis to final build, expert designers provide end-to-end support to transition each project from conception to successful launch.
• ✓Multiple revenue streams include in-store, click and collect, takeaway and delivery, while streamlined operations include tech-led, guest-facing systems, efficient kitchen designs and adaptable models, removing the need for complex equipment or skilled chefs.
• ✓Tossed provides structured support across every stage of the franchise journey, including site selection, store design and fit-out guidance, operational training, supply chain access, marketing support and ongoing business development. The concept has been built with scalability in mind, allowing franchise partners to develop multiple locations across defined territories.
• ✓Locations generate indicative annual turnover of around £750,000, with 25–35% of revenue coming from delivery channels. In prime locations, performance can be even stronger, with the best-performing store achieving £950,000 in annual revenue. The brand also benefits from a growing customer base, including over 30,000 loyalty members, helping to drive repeat visits and customer retention.
• ✓Investment levels vary depending on location and store format, typically covering the franchise fee, fit-out, equipment, opening stock, marketing and working capital. Franchise partners receive access to the Tossed operating systems, supplier network, technology platform and comprehensive training programme.
• ✓Minimum investment is from £150,000, with a franchise fee of £19,950 plus VAT, and capex starting from £150,000. Royalty fee is 5% and marketing fee 2%, with an expected ROI of 18 months.
• ✓The company said: “Tossed is seeking motivated franchise partners who share our passion for great food and excellent customer service. Experience in hospitality or food service can be beneficial, but it is not essential. What matters most is a commitment to brand standards, operational excellence and delivering a great guest experience.
• ✓“We are particularly interested in partners looking to grow with the brand and develop multiple locations over time. With a strong London foundation, a growing national footprint and exciting locations in development, Tossed offers a compelling opportunity for franchise partners ready to grow with the brand.”

Investment breakdown