A new trendy, 'edgy' burger joint has just opened in Selly Oak - created by two UoB graduates

Burger-me-up is the new hip joint in town, run by co-founders Alex Best (Human Biology) and Molly Thompson-Dykes (Environmental Science). 

Alex says, “We're an independent burger brand with big plans to become the best burger spot in Selly Oak. We're currently renting a kitchen space in Indie Lounge, and we serve their customers and our own customers through Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Just Eat”.

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Molly has worked in the hospitality industry since she started working and she loves it. Despite her attempt at a full-time career in Teaching, she wanted to continue working in hospitality, so it made complete sense for her. 

Alex had a few graduate roles lined up, but didn't particularly know which career path to take. As a result, he started toying with the idea of setting up his own business. Having lived in Selly Oak for 4 years whilst at University, it made sense for them both to start shaping their business plan in Selly Oak.

This is where The B-Enterprising team stepped into help them with their initial business questions that they found google just couldn’t answer. They were also supported with £500 from the B-Enterprising Start-Fund which was used to cover the initial set up costs and cookware to get started in the kitchen.

A particular focus for them is that there aren't any particularly 'edgy' places to eat, which is what they eventually want to achieve. Alex and Molly understand that it's going to take a while to get there, as the venture requires significant amounts of investment over time, but they are fully committed to making it happen.

Alex: 'The best thing about running your own business is, you get out exactly what you put in and there are always new things to learn. The challenges of starting a business? I would say the amount of things you need to keep on top of can become overwhelming and of course having holidays become a challenge with the workload.

Looking for help to start your own side-hustle while you study at University of Birmingham? Visit the B-Enterprising Start-Up homepage and create something in 2022.

Our biggest takeaway so far is that you have to work for what you get. If you think it's just going to happen, it's not!'

If you’d like to start your own venture or try out an idea then visit our B-Enterprising Funding page or find the latest start-up opportunities on our Start-Up webpage to help you create something new.

With thanks to Molly Thompson-Dykes and Alex Best
Written by Kerry Brunn (B-Enterprising Team)