Liv Eat: Troy Sutcliffe reveals national push, with negotiations for five new stores

What started as a single Hobart shopfront opened by three university friends in 2006 has become a Tassie triumph, with 15 stores across the state and plans to conquer the nation in 2024.

Co-Founder of Liv Eat Chris Button, Hobart Airport Operations Manager Kate Chessells and Liv Eat Co-Founder Troy Sutcliffe at Hobart Airport. Picture: Linda Higginson

What started as a single Hobart healthy eating cafe opened by three university friends in 2006 has become a Tassie triumph, with dozens of stores across the state and plans to conquer the nation in 2024.

Liv Eat managing director Troy Sutcliffe told the Mercury the company is currently in negotiations for four new mainland stores, while there are also plans to open a new Tasmanian store, its 14th in the state.

Liv Eat currently has a total of 15 stores. Four of them are operated in-house, with the remainder run under franchise.

The five new stores the company has planned are in addition to Liv Eat’s growing presence in the nation’s major airports. Outlets were opened earlier this year at Sydney and Melbourne airports’ domestic terminals, to go with Liv Eat’s Hobart Airport store, opened in December 2020.

Liv Eat co-founders Jess Saxby, Chris Button and Troy Sutcliffe on a research trip to New York City in 2005, the year before they opened their first Liv Eat. Picture: Supplied

Mr Sutcliffe said the Hobart Airport store was a particular jewel in the company’s crown – it claimed the FAB Asia Pacific Airport Health-Centred Offer of the Year Award at the recent Airport Food and Beverage Awards (FAB) held in Thailand, beating out international competition.

“It’s a really big achievement for us as a brand, a Tasmanian business gaining strong credibility in a global marketplace,” Mr Sutcliffe said.

Kate Chessells, operations manager at SSP, the Hobart Airport outlet’s franchisee, was meanwhile crowned the Star Individual Front of House Award at the FAB 2023 awards. She previously received gongs at the Liv Eat Annual Franchise Convention and Australian Airport Retail and Commercial Forum.

Liv Eat at Hobart Airport. Picture: Linda Higginson

Mr Sutcliffe founded Liv Eat in 2006 alongside university friends Chris Button and Jess Saxby, who is now managing director of Banjo’s Bakery Cafe.

The trio opened their first store in Hobart’s Elizabeth St Mall (it has since relocated to Liverpool St). Stores in Collins St, Launceston, Sandy Bay and Eastlands followed.

Mr Sutcliffe said the trio had always displayed an “entrepreneurial” streak, and spent 18 months developing their ideas for an accessible healthy eating offering, including research trips to the United States and mainland Australia.

The first Liv Eat store, opened in Hobart's Elizabeth St Mall in 2006. Picture: Supplied

“We wanted to do something in business that was true to our values: healthy eating, living well, and a positive mindset. There was a gap in Tasmania in that space,” he said.

Mr Sutcliffe said there was more than a decade of toil, constantly “redefining what we were doing,” before the company was in a position to start franchising in 2017, with Liv Eat Kingston the first outlet operated under the new model.

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Mr Sutcliffe said the company’s national push was being spearheaded by new investments in mainland consultants, including a recruitment agency to find future franchisees, a demographic analytics firm and a leasing agency.

“We don’t want to be naive and think we know the Australian market that well. There’s nuances in business where the wrong side of the street can be the difference between success and failure,” he said.

Success, however, is not measured in the number of stores, Mr Sutcliffe said.

“It’s about the people and the culture of the team, seeing staff coming on-board for the first role and moving up to a managerial position, making a difference in the community via sponsorships and donations,” he said.