Fired The Apprentice candidate to expand Black Country business empire
Businessman Tim Stillwell today said he is ready to expand his business empire across the Black Country after becoming the second contestant to be booted off The Apprentice.
The 24-year-old was kicked off the show by Lord Alan Sugar during last night's episode after his team's bid to sell flavoured beer went wrong.
But the entrepreneur is undeterred and said he will now turn his attention back to the food industry, opening his first branch of Burrito Kitchen at Merry Hill, employing 12 people.
Speaking from London yesterday, he said: "The plan is to expand in the Black Country so, after Burrito Kitchen opens at Merry Hill, I want to have the next branch in a two-mile radius. That might be Stourbridge or maybe Dudley High Street."
Hands-on businessman Mr Stillwell also plans to move from his home in The Jewellery Quarter to Dudley for the venture, which is to launch in early June.
He said: "I'm willing to do the hard work and get my hands dirty. I want to be there and be able to talk to customers and, if there's something wrong, I want to be able to fix it for the next day."
Mr Stillwell said he had done market research in the Black Country before deciding it was the best place to launch his business. He said: "Merry Hill is always busy and it's a great location. I'm really excited."
Viewers saw Mr Stillwall fired from reality TV show The Apprentice last night after being chosen by Lord Sugar to be project manager of the girls team, Evolve.
Under his leadership, the girls struggled to make their chosen beer flavour, rhubarb and caramel, wasting dozens of litres of the drink after mixing up recipe calculations.
They then failed to choose good locations to sell their product, called Rhubarb & Riches, trying the Kent Beer Festival in Putney which was later described by Lord Sugar as 'a glorified pub' and a Richmond wine bar.
