As Vandal & Co opens in Perth today (Thursday April 6), owners Corey Buxton and Jonnie Armitage take one step closer to their goal of having five restaurants open within the next five years.
The business partners launched their first venue on Dundee’s Exchange Street in April 2021 and quickly became known for tasty burgers and good deals.
To mark the two year anniversary, Vandal & Co Perth is opening at 33 George Street, bringing the same offer to the Fair City.
Entering their third year in business with two venues means the duo is on track to meet their ambitious target of having five restaurants operating five years from now.
Jonnie says: “We always think about what we’re going to do next once we’ve built something. And we’re on to a positive thing with Vandal & Co.
“Our long term goal is to have a cluster of restaurants in what we think are cool cities.
“Over the next five years, we’d like to get to five restaurants, and after that we’ll probably be exhausted.”
Why Vandal & Co chose Perth
Since the start of March, Jonnie and Corey have completely refurbished the former Grand Italia site to bring “the Vandal vibe” in.
The venue is bright, with plywood and fun pieces of art adorning the walls. There are pops of bright pink throughout, unlike the Dundee venue which features blues and yellows.
One of the reasons for choosing Perth was “selfish”, according to the duo.
“It’s really close to Dundee, and I think Perth is lacking somewhere fun and exciting to go that has fresh food and really good cocktails in a relaxed atmosphere,” says Jonnie.
“We’re good at what we do, we know what our guests want and we know our market, so we wanted to expand.
“The market in Dundee and Perth is really consistent, people are looking for the same thing. It will be the same menu and the same prices.
“We change our style of food quite often, either because we’re bored of cooking it or because I’ve found my favourite dish and my wife can’t stand how much weight I’m putting on from eating it.”
To celebrate the new opening, Vandal & Co’s menu has been updated with some new dishes and cocktails. It will still stick to offering a range of cuisines including Asian and American and options for different dietary requirements.
Cost-of-living crisis a ‘little hurdle’
While many businesses refrain from taking risks during the cost-of-living crisis, Corey and Jonnie are no strangers to opening in turbulent times.
“We took lots of risks when we opened in Dundee in the middle of a pandemic, so we realised cost of living and energy was just another little hurdle for us to get over,” they say.
“It worries us every singe day, but we’re hoping that things balance out over the next six to 12 months.
“It’s risk against reward, and we’re still young and ambitious.”
The opening has certainly been popular among the workforce as just 48 hours after advertising for staff they had 650 applicants for three roles.
In total, the Vandal & Co Perth team will have around 20 part-time staff, similar to the Dundee restaurant.
The duo hope to show young adults that hospitality can be a good career and that the venue will become a favourite among locals.
Corey says: “We’re looking to get a nice foothold in Perth and get lots of returning guests like in Dundee.
“We want to become people’s go to place before the theatre or a night out, or using Vandal & Co as their night out.”
Conversation