Would you like a donut with that skateboard?

Southend skateboarders Andy Williamson and Joe Smith, who is also chef at Henry Burger’s restaurant in Leigh, are teaming up with friend and former pro, David Watson, to open the June Store in Broadway West, Leigh.

The store will sell skate fashion and paraphernalia when it opens in two weeks – as well as the partners’ own Leigh-branded range of doughnuts.

LOS Donuts will be made by Joe at the Leigh branch of Henry Burger, where they will also be sold, before being shipped down the Broadway to the June Store every morning.

David, 28, who is originally from Dagenham, said the group were wanting to do something a little different while also riding the wave of American chains such as Five Guys Burger and Fries coming to Britain. He said: “Lots of companies are associated with skateboarding and this will be more about nice clothes that anyone can wear, as well as associated hardware.

“But we also wanted to bring in the American influence and, with such a big store, something which would draw people to this end of the Broadway – there’s a real trend at the moment with chains like Five Guys coming to this country.”

Joe, 25, added: “We’ve got burgers here in Leigh and we’ve got ice cream parlours so we thought we would make pretty artisan doughnuts and rotate the flavours regularly.”

The group has spent the last three weeks slowly building the fittings of the previously empty store, which sits at the end of Broadway West as it meets Rectory Grove, and David said the planned opening date was Saturday, November 22.

A professional skater since the age of 16, with Vans Shoes and Santa Cruz skateboards, David had a serious knee injury about two years ago, meaning he could no longer skate and began working for Vans before deciding to open his own skateboard store.

Friend Andy Williamson will be handling the business’s online marketing and the brand will be looking to hold a number of skate events across Essex in the near future."