Need a name for a fish and chip shop, any suggestions?

[steaky360]

Personally, I always find that I don't mind how much something costs (within reason) as long as its a quality item. Obviously being competitively priced doesn't necessarily mean it has to be the cheapest out there. A local chippy near me (Ashvale) is doing really well and has a few chains open now. They seem to pride themselves on their quality (which is top notch imo).

I don't really know anything about the industry as such but from my limited understanding of restaurants the smaller the menu the easier it is to keep a hold on the quality. Rather sell fewer high quality items than more lower quality products I'd have thought. How practical that is though remains to be seen I guess, people usually like the idea of 'choice' (I say the idea, because most folk will buy the same thing time and time again if they like it).

The pizza idea is good, but it might be difficult to compete with the supermarkets for that sort of market (although I'm sure you've done or will do your own market research to conclude that!).

 

[LFFPicard]

Maybe start with the standard chippy menu and have a comments/suggestions box to see what people want.. Spam fritters maybe, corndogs (You know the sausage fried in hash brown)
If you start with wide variety you might find you will waste a lot of the more niche items. So start small and increase your range after you have established.

Another option is to go down the franchise route, I been looking at it in my area. I really think my town will do really well with a Subway. It is expensive, 150k recommended to establish yourself for the first year. That includes everything from what I read, wages, franchise fee etc etc. But until I come into some money I have not even done the research in my area for it.

 

[tom_gr7]

If I could just open this up slightly further while I have this thread going, anyone got anything they always wanted to see sold in a chip shop that hasn't been? Looking to extend the range a little.

I'd say as long as the quality is good, then you wont have nothing to worry about. Whenever I go to the chippy, its either a large fish and chips covered in curry sauce. But that is only because no chippy around here does decent pies! I love a portion of chips with a lovely home made steak pie, covered in thick gravy. So, good homemade pies! (or pies that look homemade)

I wouldn't buy a pizza or a kebab from a chippy/takeaway though. Well, I wouldnt buy a kebab anyway, eewww. But I don't think any takeaway can beat Asda's create your own pizzas, two ten inch for 4 quid.

 

[vanthus]

Got to agree with Tom,quality is everything.
As you probably know,up here in Scotland anyway,there are 3 categories of chip shops,boufing,not bad,and superb,as you would expect,the superb ones are always busiest

 

[PokerFace]

i know a fish and chip shop near us do gluten free batter for people with intolerances. and people with problems will love you for it if you cater to their issues. good way to build up a loyal client base!

There's one by us that does gluten free batter once a month (1st Monday of the month for example) and also has a special OAP's day, where they get a discount.

One of their big selling points is the fish cooked to order. As you are in the queue, the fish frier guy will ask if you want fish, so he can get it going. It only takes about 5 mins to cook and is nice and fresh. They also put the fish in a box with holes in, so the steam can escape and therefore the batter is still crispy when you get home.

 

[mantadog]

...that is only because no chippy around here does decent pies! I love a portion of chips with a lovely home made steak pie, covered in thick gravy. So, good homemade pies! (or pies that look homemade)

....But I don't think any takeaway can beat Asda's create your own pizzas, two ten inch for 4 quid.

Yep, the pies are important. Love a good pie myself. They're coming from a local supplier, hand made so I think were covered in that department. Totally agree with the asda comparison re the pizzas, more of an example than anything.

As you probably know,up here in Scotland anyway,there are 3 categories of chip shops,boufing,not bad,and superb,as you would expect,the superb ones are always busiest

Aye, at the moment I would rate it as 'not bad', the current owner is just taking what he can get from it now. Though not sure I will be able to cope with it much busier, did my first Saturday night last weekend and I could hardly keep up. Definitely need a few more cores in my rain and an increase in RAM to remember everything. But with those in place it will be ready to move into the 'superb' category!

One of their big selling points is the fish cooked to order. As you are in the queue, the fish frier guy will ask if you want fish, so he can get it going. It only takes about 5 mins to cook and is nice and fresh. They also put the fish in a box with holes in, so the steam can escape and therefore the batter is still crispy when you get home.

ALWAYS cook fish to order, takes no time at all and is all the better for it. it's the most expensive item on the menu so better make it good I say. Incidentally how much is a fish + chips in your area? The guy were buying from is £6 a portion, that's not even the most expensive in the area, you can add on an extra 30p+ in some places.

 

[4ner]

What's the profit margin on a portion of fish n chips?

 

[mantadog]

What's the profit margin on a portion of fish n chips?

I think that's a trade secret!

Depends how big the fish is, that's the honest answer. Even though the fish is supposed to be sized before it's delivered you could end up with anywhere between 18-30 bits per box (all boxes weigh the same total) from my very limited experience. I have worked it out as costing roughly £1.25 for a (decent sized) portion of fish on average. Add on chips, packaging and oil - your probably looking at roughly £1.70 to £1.85 for a portion of fish and chips.

Sell that for £6 and the VAT man takes £1.20 right off the top. So before other costs your looking at about £2.95-£3.10 per portion. I think round here in the NE of Scotland we are quite expensive at £6 a portion but call it just less than £2 for the ingredients and your roughly right for your local prices.

Things like Sausages are much more profitable percentage wise though

 

[Wozza63]

I think that's a trade secret!

Depends how big the fish is, that's the honest answer. Even though the fish is supposed to be sized before it's delivered you could end up with anywhere between 18-30 bits per box (all boxes weigh the same total) from my very limited experience. I have worked it out as costing roughly £1.25 for a (decent sized) portion of fish on average. Add on chips, packaging and oil - your probably looking at roughly £1.70 to £1.85 for a portion of fish and chips.

Sell that for £6 and the VAT man takes £1.20 right off the top. So before other costs your looking at about £2.95-£3.10 per portion. I think round here in the NE of Scotland we are quite expensive at £6 a portion but call it just less than £2 for the ingredients and your roughly right for your local prices.

Things like Sausages are much more profitable percentage wise though

£6 is cheap. About £8 for cod and chips round here and cod seems to be one of the cheaper ones here as well. Skate & chips is about a tenner i think :/

 

[Androcles]

I'd say as long as the quality is good, then you wont have nothing to worry about. Whenever I go to the chippy, its either a large fish and chips covered in curry sauce. But that is only because no chippy around here does decent pies! I love a portion of chips with a lovely home made steak pie, covered in thick gravy. So, good homemade pies! (or pies that look homemade).

Love a good pie, one thing I miss which you used to see a lot especially the closer you got to London was the old fashioned pie and mash shops, good sized decent pies, fresh made mashed potato, a decent portion of mushies and a nice thick gravy! Don't see them around much any more, wish they would make a come back.

One of their big selling points is the fish cooked to order. As you are in the queue, the fish frier guy will ask if you want fish, so he can get it going. It only takes about 5 mins to cook and is nice and fresh. They also put the fish in a box with holes in, so the steam can escape and therefore the batter is still crispy when you get home.

There's a novel fish n chip shop round my way, they're a combined fish n chip shop come fishmonger, they have a big display of fresh fish and you pick one, they batter it there and then for you and the price is calculated on the weight of the fish, they do awesome trade, if they were a little closer to me iu would use them all the time but there's a good chippy much closer to me.

 

[Androcles]

£6 is cheap. About £8 for cod and chips round here and cod seems to be one of the cheaper ones here as well. Skate & chips is about a tenner i think :/

Good grief how much? My local chippy charges £3.50 for a piece of code and £1.50 for a portion of chips and it's top notch grub too.

 

[bigben]

If I could just open this up slightly further while I have this thread going, anyone got anything they always wanted to see sold in a chip shop that hasn't been? Looking to extend the range a little.

Anyone be interested to pay a small bit more for a real quality butchers burger? Pizza made to your specifications, but uncooked for you to take home?
Anything like that, if anyone has any ideas on that they will also be gratefully received

Don't know if anyone else has posted this (at work got to be quick) but I'd see if you can find the episode of alex polizzi which she was in a chip shop. I've been in that shop since and it's really good.

 

[Wozza63]

Good grief how much? My local chippy charges £3.50 for a piece of code and £1.50 for a portion of chips and it's top notch grub too.

That's what you get for living in a built up area just outside of London. but the chippy I go to is pretty good, lots of chips and a big bit of fish. Or 2 smaller bits.

 

[Androcles]

That's what you get for living in a built up area just outside of London. but the chippy I go to is pretty good, lots of chips and a big bit of fish. Or 2 smaller bits.

I live just outside London too, I'm in the Watford area.

 

[mantadog]

Don't know if anyone else has posted this (at work got to be quick) but I'd see if you can find the episode of alex polizzi which she was in a chip shop. I've been in that shop since and it's really good.

Yeah mate I seen that one. That the one with the daughter and the parents?

That's what you get for living in a built up area just outside of London

£8 does seem quite steep, though much of that will not be based on ingredient costs, more to do with the rent etc I would guess. especially if your near London. Up here outside Aberdeen everything costs a bomb too.

 

[Wozza63]

I live just outside London too, I'm in the Watford area.

Well maybe I'm just one of the unlucky ones then, or I go to an expensive chippy haha. I live in Thurrock just outside East London and is a very densely populated area if that has anything to do with it.