The owner of a Lincolnshire c-store is looking to turn the business into a 40-strong national retail brand.

Foo.go, which supplies sandwiches and other food-to-go products to WH Smith, opened the store in Lincoln in 2005 and after three years of store development and product trials owner George Robinson is now set to roll out the concept nationwide. It currently has sales of £18m through its 3,000 sq ft store and its WH Smith business.

The stores, like the original, will have a strong focus on local sourcing. Each outlet will source most ingredients for the range of sandwiches, wraps, salads, cakes, biscuits and ready meals from suppliers local to the store. "We have proven you can make a huge success of a convenience food store offering a wide range of fresh snacks and meals made with local ingredients," said Robinson.

He said the retailer had already identified the locations for the next 40 sites and hoped to open a second store by the end of the year. It expected to be half way through the roll-out by 2010, he added.

Foo.go will focus on market towns and cathedral cities offering a similar environment to Lincoln. There was a greater connection with the local rural economy in these areas, said Robinson.

"Our customers know many of our suppliers, which helps reinforce our positioning," he said. "It would be more difficult to achieve the same goals in a major metropolis."