Focus: Champagne/wine bars
Jo Chalker
Age: 35
Company: X Bar
A former chartered accountant, banker and headhunter, Chalker decided to take on the unenviable task of attracting demanding City drinkers with the launch of her champagne bars, called Dion. Having raised almost £1m for her first two bars, retaining three-quarters of the equity, around 2,000 workers from central London now visit Chalker’s urban oases every week. With plans to open a Canary Wharf bar, Chalker has projected turnover to rise from £3m to £6m within two years.
