An award-winning fish and chip shop will reopen for delivery next week.
The Bay Fish & Chips in Stonehaven on the Beach Promenade will relaunch its delivery service from Thursday May 7, partnering with local taxi firm Dash Cabs.
Calum Richardson, owner of the popular chipper which is the highest ranked British food firm to make it into Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Eatlist, took the decision to close his shop five weeks ago following the coronavirus lockdown to ensure customer and staff safety.
Having had time to implement new strategies and redevelop his company, the businessman will open the venue from 3pm to 8.30pm Thursday to Sunday.
The Bay Fish & Chips will provide a local delivery service initially, and providing it proves successful, will expand the delivery area to further afield.
All running smoothly, Calum may also reopen the eatery’s click and collect service, too, which launched just before lockdown was announced.
Calum said: “I was going to open this week, but I decided the timing wasn’t right. We will reopen on Thursday – but it’s going to be a bit of trial and error. I’m trying to build a business back and I’m going to take baby steps with it.
“We’ll be operating on reduced hours, a reduced menu and reduced staff. The two-metre rule is a problem, so we’ll slowly get staff back as the business grows, and as long as it’s safe to do so.
“We will offer delivery this week and we will build on it. The objective is to get to click and collect, but my fear is people treat it as a day out and sit and eat fish and chips at the beach. It’s a bit too early for that.”
Ordering online, customers will get the chance to pick from various 15-minute delivery slots with multiple spaces dedicated to each time.
He added: “There’s a link to order on the website and our social media platforms. Our app should be ready to go for next week so people will be able to order there as well. For the first order customers put through there will be a 10% discount applied. Delivery slots will come up and there will be 15-minute delivery slots and so many deliveries dedicated to each one.
“Customers have to realise that once they’ve ordered online, they’ve ordered. We won’t be able to change it for them after as we will be snowed under. They also have to realise that the delivery slots may fill up quickly so they may have to pick another time as by the time they have ordered and paid, all the slots on that time may have gone. I advise everyone to check their times before they pay.”
Partnering with Stonehaven-based taxi firm Dash Cabs again, Calum will give the full delivery charge for the service to the drivers. Delivery is priced from £4 to £6.
He added: “I used Dash Cabs to help deliver the food before we shut because of lockdown so we will be using them again. Things are quiet for them so they are happy to do my deliveries for me which is great. They will run all the cars and I’ll book up the slots in advance. This means I have full control over it.
“At the moment we have two delivery zones – the heart of Stonehaven which is the inside of the dual carriageway is £4 and the outskirts up to Glithno, and that area will be £6. We might extend it further but we need to pull it tight at the start to ensure it works. All of the delivery money goes to the taxi. They have fixed the price and I’ll pay them the money for every delivery. It’s keeping another business afloat and is creating sustainability in local business.
“To do delivery you need special insurance which is very expensive, a taxi already has this so it works out perfectly.
“The day we did click and collect before we closed the service worked a treat as everyone was doing what was needed of them, however, people may see it as a day out and that’s my fear, so we’ll just be delivering for now. Hopefully we will open everything again soon for everyone, so please just bide your time.
“Reopening is like starting a new business all over. I’ve been rewriting risk assessments and everything to make sure it’s as safe as possible for everyone. I’ll probably never, if ever get the business back to what it was, but it’s about rebuilding and seeing what we can create.”