Who would have ever thought that two simple meals in their own right, would one day overlap and lead into becoming a roaring success as a modern-day national and international franchise food outlet, as well as one of the more popular of all the take away foods?
Whether is a health driven decision or simply a preferred choice, this wonderful mix of the potato chip and the fish dates right back to the 1800's and perhaps even before.
The population is growing and as people's lives become busier there are plenty of people who don't want to cook after a day's work. The alternative is to visit a fast-food outlet.
Demand for fast food is robust but the market is saturated and people must be mindful that feeding people isn't an easy career option. Selling food is obviously one of the oldest forms of commerce, and it will never exactly go out of fashion! Fish and chip shops have been around since the late 19th century.
A few little excerpts from Albert Jacks book, which makes wonderful reading for any food connoisseur or food lover.
Fish is a staple diet for many; chips is a staple diet for many - the combination of these equals franchised outlets.
Fried fish in batter was originally a Jewish dish, one that became increasingly popular in the east end of London where many Jews settled during the nineteenth century. Even Charles Dickens refers to a fired fish warehouse in Oliver Twist (1839) and Henry Mayhew in his epic survey of London (1851-62), estimated there to be already around three hundred fried fish sellers in the city.
Fried "chipped" potatoes go back even further. Previously, the most popular form of potato based fast food was the baked potato. But in the nineteenth century, the taste for chips spread, particularly in Scotland and the in north of England; they became a complete craze in the mill towns of Lancashire.
A wave of chip shops spread from down from the north and a wave of fried fish shops spread up from the south until eventually the two overlapped. In 1860, a Jewish immigrant called Joseph Malin opened a shop, on Cleveland Street in the east end of London, selling fried fish in the Jewish fashion alongside fried chipped potatoes for the first time. With the popularity and growing demand for this cheap fast food, Malin soon opened fish and chips shops all over London. Then in 1863, Mr. Lee's Chippy opened for business in Oldham market in Lancashire and soon he had a chain of shops all across the North Country.
By the end of the century, fish and chip shops were accepted by the English culture and by 1925 there were 35 000 shops.
Starting and Running a Fish & Chip Shop
The reality is that the traditional fish and chip shop is rapidly becoming a general purpose fast food takeaway and why not? You are doing this as a business with the objective of making money.
There is no doubt that the market exists, but you will find, unless you are a rare exception or unless you live in a rural area, that 90% of your customers will be from within a few miles of your premises. That is a very important fact to understand and take into consideration for the following reasons:
- Most of your business will rely on repeats, this is where customer loyalty schemes can be invaluable and there are hundreds of possibilities when it comes to customer loyalty.
- You are very vulnerable to competition on price as well as quality.
- The perception of your business is vitally important.
Chip shops and takeaways in general can be very profitable business, but they do have their downsides:
- They are expensive to start;
- They involve long-term commitment to property;
- They are generally open 7 days a week, meaning that you won't get a lot of time to spend with the family/friends etc;
- They require your constant attention; to put managers in charge is to potentially invite disaster.
The beauty of the Fish and Chips business, is that it is a cross cultural meal that a large majority of people thoroughly enjoy. There are many private owned fish and chips stores, however if you prefer the back up of a proven concept, there are many local South African fish and chip franchises available for you to consider. Once again location, commitment, and being able to carry the finance for a while is all every important to the success of your business.
Before you make your final decision whether to franchise or to open your variation or concept, check out all the various franchise options, call the existing franchisees, visit a few and compare their operations and quality.
BizAssist Technologies is your Business to Business Partner - Specialising in Sales Lead Generation. For more information visit www.bizassist.co.za
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