Cinema snacks firm premieres in Hartlepool

Movie Foods has opened on Navigation Point creating 16 jobs and is the brainchild of entrepreneur David Reidy, 29.

It sells a host of cinema style snacks such as hotdogs, popcorn, nachos and pick n’ mix sweets, and also provides a home delivery service.

It is the second branch to open in the region in just over a year and David says it is already proving a hit with customers in Hartlepool.

He said: “The idea for the business came about because a lot of people aren’t going out as much, they are either downloading films at home or watch DVDs.

“With this we can deliver all the snacks you get in a cinema straight to their door.

“I decided to open a site in Hartlepool because I was getting that many people ringing my Middlesbrough site asking if we deliver in Hartlepool, and the marina is a popular place where a lot of people come.”

The Hartlepool branch opened for business last week and David says customers have been flocking to it.

“It has been inundated,” he said. “I am running out of stock.

“It has been more popular than I thought it was going to be.

“We have had nearly 4,000 likes on Facebook.

David, a dad-of-two, from Middlesbrough, began the business in a catering trailer in Middlesbrough but quickly expanded into a shop.

He said: “By day five I couldn’t keep up with demand.

“We have now got over 30 staff in two sites and have taken on about 16 people for this new site in Hartlepool.

“I am thinking about taking on more people because we are that busy.”

David’s idea has also caught the eye of several wealthy businessmen who are keen to invest.

But David says he wants to wait before accepting any of them.

“I have had people saying they will buy half the business tomorrow and open stores in London,” he said.

“They obviously know it’s going to be a gold mine. But you can go too big too quick.

“I want top open at least four sites before I think about investment.

“It is still a learning curve, we are learning as we go along.”