Opening a fish and chip shop - Looking for views/Opinions

The Cairns Hospital cafe used to get pretty close. Was amazing, and got me on the hunt for fish burgers for ever more.

 

Biggest UK population in Perth - lovers of mushy peas - are in the areas around Mindarie/Clarkson/Alkimos/Brighton/Butler

 

They already have 'The Great British Chippy' in Currambine and just opened another in Butler. Mine won't be fully British but will have the added options of the condiments (that I miss the most) and fresh hand cut chips..

 

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Ok. Keep in mind you will need spare parts. I'd suggest you get a fairly new one and from a manufacturer who can deliver parts express. These machines do fail from time to time and it's scary when you don't have the parts. HOBART have an office and warehouse in Silverwater NSW. They are fairly reputable for tumblers. Here is an example from Gumtree. Yes, it's not cheap even second hand. But it's a big boy and can handle big volume.

Potato Peeler Commercial | Miscellaneous Goods | Gumtree Australia Blacktown Area - Arndell Park | 1101642468

 

Thanks everyone for your views/opinions/comments. I will keep every one of them in mind

Still looking for a name - Was thinking 'Oh my Cod' What does everyone think??

 

Nope - cause it limits people to thinking that is what you serve as your fish ... need to keep your name as broad as possible for when you expand your product line, or serve other varieties of fish.

Just like I didn't have garlic or wine in our trading name - leaves freedom. A friend had "garlic" in hers then had to completely rebrand everything (at great expense) when she started selling honey products and farm grown veges

 

Name:
Hand of cod
Frying nemo
Salty towers
The singing starfish/ happy jellyfish
FFS!!! ( fresh fish shop!!!)

I come back to my local for the
-extra hand cut potato scallop from the amount I ordered
- Handmade aoli or tartare sauce.
Fresh Greek salad or cous cous salad. Not just boring garden salad.
Salt and pepper squid.
Option of grilled but battered is super crispy.
Home made slices and cake.

The other chipper I go to is ok but next door is a fruit shop that sells freshly juiced choose your mix fresh fruit/ vegetable drinks. With giant stacked sliced fruit edible garnishes.

 

I used to work in one of the Sdney's busiest fish and chip shops on the coast. Following is what I took from those years.

1. Fish and chips are greasy food and more than half of the customers are men. Your location should have lots of men around, eg, swimmers, surfers, and factory workers. In terms of location, I believe you need to be thinking out of square. In my understanding, business location means:
Due to your new existence, a fair percentage of population around feel like: Wow, his/her shop presnece makes MY life a lot easeir and more enjoyable. Coastal location is good.

2. No lots of varieties of fish are needed. The shop I worked for only whitting.
3. Generous with sauce, yes.
4. 3 fryers in the order of oil age. Get rid of the oldest completely each night. No failure here in any single day.
5. The shop owner makes really tasty batter and he uses lots of salts and MSG( when asked he denied)
6. He also mixed batter with golden food coloring( when asked he would deny). The end result looks very good in terms of color.
7. He mixed the batter with self raising flour to make it looking really good and crisppy when cooked. It also makes the final product looks bigger.
8. Make it more tasty, not plain. How ofen do we remember plain food ?
9. throwing away old food is a must.
10. Try not to pre cook food if you can. That shop owner would like keep customer waiting rather than compromising the cooking process. He also rather closed the door than reducing the portion if not enough stock is left.

His taking 20 years ago per day in summer was as high as 8000 dollars a day. In winter it was about 2K to 3K a day. Assuming the gross margin is 50%, he was making $4000 net profit a day in summer holiday period.

Wish you good sucess !

 

I think what name is not that important as long as it has Fish and Chip in as big letters as possible in your as big as possible outdoor signage. Make sure you do not add too many varieties in your range. What range does Big M, KFC or Subway have ? minimum.

You would rather be a category killer in your vicinity than be a shop having everthing and serving everyone. in this secnario, no one will have a strong and compelling enough reason to go to you.

 

Profit margins are nothing like they were 20 years ago in any food buisness. Also with increased competition from a million other food "trendy" food sources it's a lot harder to make big money from fast food these day especially gold old fish and chips. Not raining on the parade just making it realistic

 

That's very correct figures. If any of those values go over that you won't be making much money.

You have had a food shop before.

20 years ago there wasn't so many varietys of food and shops. Now you are competing with petrol station food, burger shops, cafes, franchises etc

When my fathers family migrated from Italy in the 70's they had chicken/fish chip shops and pizza bars. The game is much different today

 

spot on!

1/3 rent etc
1/3 wages
1/3 ingredients

thats the general rule,
with restaurants, the wages are higher becuase you need more servers, with cafes/takeaways , far less, and hence a piece of fish at a fish/chips is like $6 while $20 at a restaurant

50% is a good figure if you have a super extra busy night with the fixed costs, wages etc is fixed,

eg say your turnoever was $2k per night on a day, and you do $3k on a particular night while the rent remains the same and staff costs are the same, then your profit above teh $2k mark component might be 50%

 

Hi LouLou, as an owner of three fish and chip stores and 10 years in the game some awesome suggestions on this thread and some advice that is just wrong and potentially sending you broke. Sauce for example is going to cost you around $8 a litre if you make your own, give even a $1 of that away with a $6 fillet and you are broke. The sediment of being generous is correct but you need to cost out everything and know your numbers.

Delivery can work well as long as you set it up to account for the product you are
Delivering - ie don't take multiple deliveries etc

If you want to pm me I can give some guidence, maybe if you're ever in Brisbane we can catch up.

With all prices rising 35% cogs, 27% labour, rent, power, cleaning, insurances- depending on turnover you will be aiming to keep 3-10% in your pocket.

 

Hey

I always wonderee about sauce too

I am a firm believer of that the more you small portion it the costs rise if you buy them retail.
Think chocolate. A block might cost 3 dollars while indivdually wrapped ones might cost 3 tones as much so ppl charging 80c for a sauce i dont blame them


I always wonder what the cost of large take away containers are

What if you buy hone brand tomato sauce for like 2 per litre (sauce is sauce ) and portion it your self into tiny take away containers.
Then you might be able to get away with say 10c per sauce take away and not be seen as tight??

 

Im going to go against the trend and say this.

If your in a great location. Eg touristy. Lots of foot traffic. Your fit out is new and hip and your food is average or above your business will do well

If your shop is endorsed by some celebrity or becomes the in place to be. You dont need a great name or great food and people will flock

I personaly think for the majortiy of people. Most people cant tell the difference between average and great food.
A place with great food that has no reputation wont be as popular as a place with average food and is popular amongst the wannabes will be flooded with customers

 

Hey the c4 tubs with a lid (the normal sauce size- without looking stingy) is 8c exGST.

 

That much for a sauce container? I can check the price with my aunty...

 

few places sell the containers in bulk - have a google - looking at 4-6c including lids - excl gst and postage

http://www.foodpackagingonline.com.au/products/sauce-plastic-containers/#10
Takeaway Sauce Containers - WF Plastic Pty Ltd