More than 2,000 raffle tickets have been sold in just 10 days to would-be entrepreneurs hoping to win a Wolverhampton coffee shop.

Mike and Alexandra Perkins, who bought Madame Clarke’s in King Street in 2003, said today they had already shifted almost half the number they need to recoup their costs and make a small profit.

The draw for the £100,000 business is due to be made in August, but may now be moved forward because tickets going so quickly.

The Grade II-listed café in King Street comes complete with £70,000-plus gross annual profit, six staff and the company car.

It was put up for sale four weeks ago, but the Perkins decided they stood a better chance of raising the cash by launching the competition. They said the current slump in the property market prompted them to give the raffle idea a go.

A minimum of 5,500 tickets at £15 each need to be sold, or entrants will have their money refunded.

Mike said today: “We’re almost halfway there already.

“Some days we get literally hundreds of people buying tickets and other days hardly any, but generally it’s going better than we thought and we’re confident we’re going to sell the number we need.

“We’ve also had inquiries from people looking to buy the business outright so that’s also a possibility.”

The couple, from Bilston, who want to concentrate on their coffee shop business in Telford, have set up an internet facility at the cafe and are offering free coffee to shoppers who enter the contest on site.

So far, the most number of tickets bought in one go is 20.

The couple, who have two children, say they are not looking to make a huge profit on the raffle.

Madame Clarke’s Ale and Porter stores was one of the oldest pubs in Wolverhampton. It opened as a coffee house in September 1986.

Tickets can only be purchased on-line at www.winacoffeeshop.co.uk.