A sandwich shop owner has opened a second branch and plans to launch more despite being the target of a suspected arson attack.

Jesse Miller, who runs Francombs, says the business has gone from strength-to-strength since the incident.

The new shop in Prospect Court on the Eurolink Industrial Estate, Sittingbourne, sells sandwiches, salads, cakes and coffee.

In April last year, his mobile trailer was set on fire by yobs which caused thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Looking back at the CCTV, Jesse says he noticed two people on a moped with yellow wheels.

The passenger gets off and pours “some sort of accelerant down the back of the vent where the fridge was and sets light to it”.

They then both drive away. He believed it was a targeted attack as it was done the day before it was set to open to the public.

“We still haven't found the perpetrators, but it has helped in a positive way,” he explained.

“The customers have really been encouraging and supportive. They have supported us by coming and ordering from us.

“I think it's given them and us the realisation that whatever happens, you've just got to get on with it.

“We have come out of it even more determined.”

Jesse runs the main shop, in Rochester Court, on the Medway City Estate and a smaller unit in nearby Chaucer Close.

Francombs has been running for 10 years, but Jessie bought the brand from the original owners around three years ago.

He had been looking to open a second branch for quite some time but was just waiting for the right venue to become available.

Jesse says his customers are usually industrial estate workers and are the perfect target market for his business.

“Scaling up is a lot easier once you've got the format in place,” he added.

“During the last three years, we have been trying to make it more efficient for the customer.

“We've made a lot of changes to the Rochester branch and are introducing touch screens – like the ones at McDonald's.

“We're doing all the online orders, from Just Eat, Uber Eats and Deliveroo, in a separate purpose-built kitchen now.”

Jesse also plans on expanding his sandwich empire further and is looking for branch locations in both Gravesend and Maidstone.

The Sittingbourne shop launched on Wednesday, August 7. It will be open Monday to Friday, between 7.30am and 3pm.