Fish and Chips Takeaway Marketing

[MG Plastering Leeds]

Hi, my uncle has started his own fish n chips business and after some marketing ideas how to get his shop known in the local area.

He is doing meal deals etc any ideas. thanks

 

[tony84]

flyers?

I dont know if its possible, but there is a chippy opened up near us in a nice village.
They do wheat and gluten free fish and chips - its for coeliacs who cant eat certain types of food. Its quite a big market and could get open him upto a new audience. My mum has it and it can be a nightmare but more and more places are catering for it - even wetherspoons.

 

[Ewan-1]

If he has a large enough budget then he could maybe get a billboard? That will make the business look very professional.

 

[I Love Spreadsheets]

We have a local Indian take away that delivers menus once a month, which is not unusual in a University town which is full of take aways. However what is different is each menu is full of hidden jokes and humour, so people tend to read them more (even if they are not ordering) and share them with others.

We dont have take aways very often but their menu is always stuck on our fridge and are often our first choice

 

[Scott-Copywriter]

He should have really figured out the ideas before he even decided whether to open the business.

One of the big problems with small businesses these days is that people get too excited/impatient, end up buying the business and THEN figuring out how to make it work.

 

[Litherland]

Leaflet drop through doors in the local areas, maybe a printed advert is theres a local magazine, facebook page and twitter page and promote any meals deals or any fresh catches with fish, make it have a personality and attract people, simple a4 print outs tied on traffic lights or lamp posts advertising it, fold out board that says "chippy next left" . Just thoughts

 

[eventdomain]

Why don't you advertise on the takeaway ordering engines:

http://www.just-eat.co.uk/

http://hungryhouse.co.uk/

 

[Perfect Windows]

Leaflet, leaflet and leaflet.

His mornings should be free - he should be dropping them all the time.

 

[eventdomain]

Leaflet, leaflet and leaflet.

His mornings should be free - he should be dropping them all the time.

Everyone does this, what happens is people take maybe 1 of each eg: Chinese menu, Indian menu etc - then bin the other 200 they get every year. So constantly printing them will be costly and stuffing them in letterboxes will peeve folk off.

People find out themselves where food places are - they dont need to be spammed to find grub

 

[cjd]

Make great fish and chips at a good price.

Food businesses get business by word of mouth and reputation. Print all the damn flyers you like - if you don't get repeat business, you're bu33ered.

Most new fish and chip shops make the mistake of not getting the basics absolutely right - they cut corners after a few weeks because they don't have high enough volume to make fresh food quickly - they either keep things warm too long or keep customers waiting too long while they cook fresh. It's a difficult balance that means investing in wasteage in the early days.

But, as you probably know, really good fish and chip shops do really well and as there's so few really good ones - despite the massive amount that there are - the competition is actually virtually non-existant.

Just do it really well for at least 12 months - the rest is easy.

 

[Steve Sellers]

Tell him to sell patties, you just can't get them outside of Hull and the seaside resorts close to Hull.

Could get on the streets nearby and give out tasters. All depends on the image he wants for his chip shop. There is definitely scope in that game for low end local chippy to more expensive locally renowned chip shop.

My local fish and chip shop does fish n chips for £2. Decent portions and actually quite nice believe it or not. They are always busy for that reason. Without wishing to sound a snob but queues of a certain type of person ordering fish n chips several times over to feed their young children. That is one way to make a mint. At the other end of the scale there is a village chip shop that I know of that is about £2 just for a bag of chips. Really nice but overpriced - people come for miles.

I think marketing ideas would be easier to suggest if we knew what sort of level of the market he is planning on going after?

 

[Perfect Windows]

Everyone does this, what happens is people take maybe 1 of each eg: Chinese menu, Indian menu etc - then bin the other 200 they get every year. So constantly printing them will be costly and stuffing them in letterboxes will peeve folk off.

People find out themselves where food places are - they dont need to be spammed to find grub

I gave it a little more thought than you might realise.

I, too, receive hundreds of menus. I, too, keep one from pretty much every type. However, I've never received one from a fish and chip shop, despite having four or five within a ten minute walk of my house.

Vin

 

[Excellent Foods]

It is all about local marketing, so try leaflet and ads in your local newspaper. I would consider hiring a professional marketer for your leaflets, as you will need to look professional and stimulate peoples appetites (or your leaflets will go straight to the bin).

 

[Scott-Copywriter]

I gave it a little more thought than you might realise.

I, too, receive hundreds of menus. I, too, keep one from pretty much every type. However, I've never received one from a fish and chip shop, despite having four or five within a ten minute walk of my house.

Vin

I've noticed this too! In fact, fish and chip shops which deliver are a rarity full stop.

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

Tie up with some local producers for supply of things like Premium Pies or speciality sausages...

Curry Sausages, Chilli Sausages, Grandmas Hickory Smoked Bacon & Cheese Sausages, etc.,

Do a Sausage & Pie Special Night...to order only if needs be....

Charge a premium for the premium pies and make sure all the accompanying chips are chunky and whole, fried to order and not the usual dozen good ones and loads of ends...

Do a 'Double Whammy' Buy one Bag of chips, get two on Monday nights or when it's quiet..

Do a Happy Hour from 4 til 5 for early eaters...

Make a big deal of it when the new potato season starts.. Les Maris Piper est arrivee' '(Le Beujolais nouveau il est arrivee')

Put a big mis-spelt sign in the window..'Haddak and Chips' then get somebody to photograph it and send it to the local paper under an alias complaining about the standard of spelling these days

Get some T-shirts printed with an offer on the back and see if the local pub will wear them if you put their pub name and forthcoming event on the back of your shirts..

 

[HiQ]

Just noticed your post and thought i'll run a few of the cuff idea's past you here real quick. Obviously some of these will depend on where exactly you are based, type of customers, access, etc.

> Chat the local builders, events organisers, rugby, football clubs etc and offer them special deals.
> Next one is perhaps a long shot, but chat local b&b's and supply their patrons.
> Do a easy, low cost publicity gimic. Example, make a biggest single chip you can (mash some patatoes, mould it, make it). Now invite the local media to come cover it (They always looking for ANY story). Thow some colouraNTS in the mix and make red chips lol. Yes a biut erxtreme, but these simple things will get more feet in the door, now your job becomes to retain them / loyalty. Publicity gimics coem in endless supply once you can think out the "chip" box a bit

> Prise giveaway. Yes this is not a mass effect tool, but it will generate some word of mouth locally. No need for heavy expenses on prises either, maybe a keyboard, mouse, some boots, a jacket, football etc. Prise is given to lucky customer number x. Ofcourse you could work it differently.

> Go viral ! yes the web! Your a chippy, doesnt mean you cant get some local students to make a viral about your shop. The one who gets the most views gets a free pack a chips once a week or more if you can afford it. Whether they work or not, it's your shop name visible out there and that is added value in more ways than just selling chips.

> Piggy backing off that local pizza shop (yes not the best example, but you get the idea) is also a possibility. Chat them, stike a deal, share costs on flyers. You dont pizza's, they dont do chips, but now you can add value to their business and thery to yours. All that for the bennifit of both of your customers.

> Added services. Not sure if you guys do deliveries, but im sure your customers might appreaciate it if you picked up a packet of smokes for them on your way to them. yes again "smokes" not the best example, but you get what i mean. This added service sort of initiative might just be enough to get your clients to choose you over another local supplier.

You guys could also try and reduce your expenses and get your paper wraps, etc sponsored. Yes sponsored ^^ Lets say you struck a deal with some local movers, builders etc, you now have a target groups (not just general). Now go chat a local building wears supplier/store and allow them to get their logo on your packets going to all builders or b&b's etc. Something allong those lines.


Not to Administrators, any chance we can get a spell checker function on here or am i just not seeing it ?

To op, hope at least some of these idea's will be of some use. Options are virtually endless.

Cheers

HiQ

 

[Peanut Butter Man]

An old thread I know but I love the idea's people come up with

How did the OP get on with these or his own in the end?

 

[R1chard]

Best thing my local Fish & Chip shop does - deliver... Just like pizza, Curry and the Chinese... net result is I eat Fish & Chips in preference to pizza or chinese now.