New digital first 'whole food' restaurant, Vero set to open in Belfast

A new digital first, whole food concept is set to open in Belfast in spring which will see the creation of 35 new jobs following a £350,000 investment.

Meaning ‘true’, Vero has been set-up by local entrepreneur Andrew Maxwell who has a proven track record of building and scaling restaurants over the last 15 years – including the popular Mexican food chain, Boojum. The solo venture reflects Andrew’s passion for helping to make it easier for people to incorporate whole food into their day-to-day life.

Located on the ground floor of Bedford House on Bedford Street, the 2,000 sq ft eatery will have seating for 35 diners and a separate digital hub entrance dedicated to the processing and collection of online orders.

Andrew Maxwell, managing director of Vero, said: “The ethos of Vero is simple - we make good food that is good for people. We don’t do salads. We do whole food that is true, of the highest quality and fully customisable to each individual customer’s choices. It’s a unique food concept that Northern Ireland hasn’t seen before offering an omni-channel experience with in-store, click and collect, delivery and catering options using innovative technology solutions to make it easy for people to get the right food wherever they are.

“Over the last three years, how we think about our health, how we order and how we socialise has changed and we have built Vero around this. We aim to help educate people on the fantastic array of fresh produce that they can incorporate into their daily life, so that they can make the right food choices and ultimately learn to love food that loves them back.

“Like a lot of people, the pandemic made me look at things differently. And as a father and a businessman, I know the increased importance that a good work-life balance has become for most. Vero is a people centric business and we have set our trading hours around this. We will be open Monday to Saturday from 11am to 8pm and will be closed on a Sunday to enable our employees to relax and spend quality time with their loved ones.

“We are currently recruiting for 35 positions with a mix of part and full-time available. No experience is necessary as we have created a bespoke training programme and I’m excited to build a team and a culture that represents the true ethos of Vero."