AN OXFORD street stall that was the birthplace of a multi-million pound business employing 400 people could move indoors.

The AMT coffee stall outside the Westgate Centre could move inside the shopping attraction after serving customers for 18 years.

The business was opened by three Oxford Brookes University students, the McCallum-Toppin brothers, in 1993.

Today there are 72 AMT stalls in UK venues including railway stations and hospitals thanks to the venture by brothers Angus, Alistair and Allan.

Chief operating officer Jon Hassall said: “We are in discussion about relocating that unit, perhaps inside the Westgate Centre. That’s where the business started, so we are keen to find a new site.”

The stall could be rehomed in a permanent unit with fixed seating, he said.

Mr Hassall said: “It’s early days and we are in the early stages of negotiation.”

The brothers arrived from Seattle 20 years ago and scraped together enough money to design and build a hand-pushed street cart, which later became a fixed stall.

Oxford City Council has a long-term plan to ‘tidy’ Bonn Square street traders and move them to St Ebbe’s.

The firm is planning 20 new outlets this year as part of a £1m investment programme by finance company Close Leasing.

Last year, AMT grew by 20 per cent and Mr Hassall said its emphasis on ethical trading had drawn in customers.

It was the first coffee company to become 100 per cent Fairtrade, and uses organic milk.

Chief finance officer Fred Edwards said: “We are really open for business and looking to scale up rapidly.”

Allan McCallum-Toppin said of the expansion plans: “The whole team is very excited by this deal.

“It's a fantastic 18th birthday present for our company.

“When we first started, my brothers and I approached one of the major banks for a £1,500 loan.

“The manager listened to our plan, then informed us that in England people drink tea, not coffee, from china, not paper cups and certainly not while wandering around.

“We didn’t get the money. I guess we’ve proved our point now.”