Winner - The Frying Squad!
Bangor’s fish and chip franchise brand, The Frying Squad, is flying the flag for North Down entrepreneurship. With the latest franchise site opened in Finaghy, the ambitious brand is also currently in talks with other potential franchisees throughout Northern Ireland in its bid to expand here first before moving throughout Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland.
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Frying Squad plans to be the ‘Big Fish’
Award winning fish and chip shop franchise - the Frying Squad - is to swim against the current business tide when it announced ambitious expansion plans today to recruit at least six new franchisees this year.
In a month that has seen a myriad of job losses and businesses going into administration, the Bangor-based business is prepared to buck the trend.
The Frying Squad already has four shops in the Province, three of which are being run by franchisees in Bangor, Larne and Carrickfergus, while the other shop in Bangor is being run by Frying Squad founder Michael Neill.
The company now plans to open an additional six sites throughout 2009 in Belfast, Lisburn, Armagh, Ballycastle, Ballymena and Enniskillen and has other sites ear-marked throughout the province. The sites that are on offer are with local retail giant Henderson Group with the Frying Squad having exclusive rights to them.
A bullish Michael Neil, managing director, said: ‘’Starting a franchise takeaway business of this caliber in this climate will undoubtedly appeal to some of the people current facing redundancy.
“Traditionally this is the sort of business that isn't really affected by a recession. It would be more higher end restaurants that would be feeling the effects of the credit crunch. People are always going to want good quality fish and chips and that’s what we provide.
‘’We are confident that we have a strong product and brand, there is good profit margins to be made and all our sites are in prime locations with complimentary units next door, like an off-license, or a garage. This formula has proved to be successful and is helping us to achieve our aim of being the customer’s first choice for fish and chips.’’
The Frying Squad offers a complete franchise package, it includes a turnkey shop, an intensive training programme - encompassing all aspects of running a successful fish and chip shop, licensing rights, a launch programme, corporate uniforms, ongoing support and advice, etc. In return interested parties must have initial capital and the ability to raise additional capital. However, the Frying Squad founder, Michael Neill, predicts a 135 percent return on investment for new franchisees.
The Frying Squad plans to take the franchise into the Irish and UK markets.
For more information on the Frying Squad and franchise opportunities, please visit www.fryingsquad.com
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Fish and chip sales flourish in credit crunch - 20/01/2009
Fish and chips shops across the UK are profiting from the credit crunch as sales of the nation’s favourite takeaway continue to rise, according to new sales figures released today (15 January) by Seafish, the authority on seafood.
The statistics from Seafish and NPD Crest show total sales at the UK’s 9,500 fish and chip shops rose by 3 per cent last year.
As the credit crunch took hold in the second half of 2008, fish and chip shops recorded sales of £717m in the eight months to November – up from £705m in the same period for 2007. That equates to one in every £100 we spend on food being spent in a fish and chip shop.
And from March to November 2008, there were more than 548 million visits to fish and chip shops – up 3.5 per cent from 523 million in 2007.
The research suggests that the UK public is opting for value for money takeaways rather than eating out in restaurants. Seafish believes the industry will grow in the coming months as the credit crunch takes hold.
Andy Gray from Seafish said: “The fish and chips industry is, by and large, a network of family-run and independent shops – a sector which is usually at risk in times of recession.
“Fish and chip shops are perfectly placed to prosper in 2009 by offering a quality product that provides great value-for-money.”
This continued rise in sales comes after figures released in July showed a 3.2% increase in custom for the first quarter of 2008 – the first time fish and chip shops have experienced such a rise in five years.
Mark Petrou owns two fish and chip shops, in Ely and Chatteris in Cambridgeshire. Mark was the 2006 winner of the national Fish & Chip Shop of the Year competition and is a finalist again this year. He also owns other businesses in the area. He said: “While trade has definitely dropped off in the local pubs in the past year, demand at the fish and chip shops has been unbelievable with a marked increase in turnover.”
Richard Ord is the owner of Colman’s of South Shields and a finalist in the national competition. Richard said: “The credit crunch is being kind to us. Our customers can have confidence in fish and chips despite what is happening on the high street. Our sales back up the national trend as more and more people look to rely on fish and chips as a pick me up these days.”
-Ends-
Notes to editors
• Andy Gray, Richard Ord and Mark Petrou are all available for further comment.
• Photography of Richard Ord and Mark Petrou at their fish and chip shops is also available.
• A press kit containing background information, celebrity fish and chip fans, fun and quirky stats and a roll of honour of previous competition winners is available.
• Seafish, the authority on seafood, was founded in 1981 by an act of parliament and supports the seafood industry for a sustainable, profitable future. Our services range from research and development, economic consulting, market research and training and accreditation through to account management and legislative advice for the seafood industry. www.seafish.org
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Frying Up Success
In less than five years the Frying Squad fish and chip chain has grown from a simple beginning in Newtownards, to an innovative awarding winning fast food franchise outlet, at the forefront of the industry in Northern Ireland.
A key ingredient to the Frying Squad’s success is the quality of the food it serves, only sourcing the freshest and highest quality products. Another integral element to the success of the Frying Squad is its dedication and investment to hygiene standards and staff training and development.
It was a finalist for staff training and development and was also short listed twice for top fish and chip shop in Northern Ireland at the National fish & chip shop of the year competition in 2007. The Frying Squad has also won numerous Eat Safe awards for the hygiene standards implemented across all venues, most recently being awarded a 5-star rating for the Carrickfergus shop in ‘Scores On The Doors’ the highly respected food hygiene rating system.
The Frying Squad already has four shops in the Province, three of which are being run by franchisees in Bangor, Larne and Carrickfergus, while the other shop in Bangor is being run by the Frying Squad founder Michael Neill.
The company is not letting the economic downturn affect its growth strategy and is currently recruiting franchisees for sites in Belfast, Lisburn, Armagh, Ballycastle, Ballymena and Enniskillen. This will take the number of Frying Squad outlets in the Province to 10, with plans for more to follow in the ROI, the UK and even as far as Europe.
Managing Director, Michael Neill said: ‘’Traditionally this is the sort of business that isn't really affected by a recession. It would be more higher end restaurants that would be feeling the effects of the credit crunch, people are always going to want good quality fish and chips and that’s what we provide.
‘’We are confident that we have a strong product and brand, there is good profit margins to be made and all our sites are in prime locations with complimentary units next door, like an off-license, or a well known retail unit. This formula has proved to be successful and is helping us to achieve our aim of being the customer’s first choice for fish and chips.’’
The importance of customers and building loyalty is not lost on the Frying Squad, who have created a loyalty scheme to reward customers. On top of this it regularly runs various competitions for customers, most notably the recent high profile competition on Cool FM where customers could win £1,000 cash in each shop and other goodies like a Nintendo Wii.
With the ambitious plans for 2009 well under way, it looks certain that the Frying Squad is going to be cooking up success for a long time to come. For more information on the Frying Squad and franchise opportunities, please visit www.fryingsquad.com--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 2008
New shop opened, Middle Road, Carrickfergus.
New shop opened, Viking Lodge, Larne
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Bangor Business Awards
The Frying Squad win position as finalists 2007 Best Eating Establishment Award. Wednesday 2nd May saw the elite of local business come together for the 7th Bangor Business Awards. The evening began with President of the Bangor Chamber of Commerce, Evan Ward, thanking everyone for the tremendous turnout and said, “The awards are all about achieving excellence in business in our local community. We believe that this should be rewarded and that those people who put something extra into their business should be acknowledged. Hence the awards we have run now for seven years” Due to the significant number of entries into this year’s Best Eating Establishment Award, this category was divided into two, - table service and counter service. The Frying Squad were very proud to be nominated as a finalist in this award.
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January 2008
Eat Safe award for Frying Squad Belfast Road
Smile Award
Seafish Training Award
October 2007
iPod Shuffle winners
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July 2007
Smile Business Development Award tbc
Fry Monthly article tbc
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June 2007
Bangor Business Awards - The Frying Squad win position as finalists in this years Best Eating Establishment Award. Wednesday 2nd May saw the elite of local business come together for the 7th Bangor Business Awards. The evening began with President of the Bangor Chamber of Commerce, Evan Ward, thanking everyone for the tremendous turnout and said, “The awards are all about achieving excellence in business in our local community. We believe that this should be rewarded and that those people who put something extra into their business should be acknowledged. Hence the awards we have run now for seven years” Due to the significant number of entries into this year’s Best Eating Establishment Award, this category was divided into two, - table service and counter service. The Frying Squad were very proud to be nominated as a finalist in this award.
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May 2007
Bangor Elim Car & Motorcycle show 2007.
"I would just like to say a big thank you on behalf of Bangor Elim Missions Team for your support at the Bike Show last saturday. Your contribution towards the burger stall enabled us to raise £1300 for our charity. - This will go towards our income generating projects in Africa.
In Africa, building houses to rent out is a major source of support for our work. In Malawi a township house can be built for £600 and raise approx £6 per month. In Swaziland £1000 will build a similar house with a monthly rent of £25+ which will help support orphan homes and hospice work for HIV victims. What seems so little to us ..........is so much to them!!" Elim show.jpg photo courtesy of www.cruiz.com
Ulster Bank article - Newsletter tbc
Customer promotion in collaboration with Pepsi, customer winning free stereo on the 1 may 2007
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April 2007 Franchise Magazine Articles
http://www.irishfranchisemagazine.net/franchise/The-Frying-Squad/Interview-The-Frying-Squad/1972
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February 2007 - COMING SOON! A new and improved LOYALTY CARD scheme
Within the next few weeks customers will be able to register for a new Loyalty Card. So what's new about it? It's smaller. It's sturdier. Its electronic. It fits on your keyring so you will always have it with you when you visit. There is no longer any limit to the number of points that can be saved. Customers still need to have saved 21 points and above before they are able to use them against purchases but they will no longer be restricted to using them against certain products. Having a party? Save your points and use them to cater for the crowd! Telephone your order in advance and simply collect.
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February 2007 - NEW LOCATION!! The Frying Squad opens new shop on the Belfast Road, Bangor
The 24th February saw The Frying Squad open their second shop on the site of the Shell Filling Station on the Belfast Road, Bangor. Fitted out to the highest standards, its modern interior and layout exemplifies the refinements made as a result of experience and ambition. more
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January 2007 - THE FRYING SQUAD LAUNCHES ITS FRANCHISE PROGRAMME
If fish and chips is the customers first choice for a takeaway meal, The Frying Squad are aiming to become the customers first choice for fish and chips. Click our Franchise page
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January 2007 - Healthier Options added to the menu
Customer requests for healthier menu options saw a greater range of salads being added to the menu in the New Year. Check out our sides and extras.
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January 2007 - Meal Deals revised; NEW! Family Meal Deals offer GREAT VALUE
Thanks to many customer feedback The Frying Squad have revised the Meal Deal choices and by popular request have introduced two Family Meal Deals to their menu. These offer EXCELLENT VALUE for money and plenty of variety to please all ages. Check out our meal deals on the menu.
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January 2007 - Early Bird Menu replaces Lunchtime Specials
As a result of customer feedback The Frying Squad have not only extended the range of menu options available but also the times at which they are available. Check out our Meal Deals on out Menu page.
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November 2006
Did you know? With more than 250 million fish and chip shop meals (featuring fish) consumed a year, the traditional dish of fish and chips is still top of the league of Britain's favourite fast foods. more
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November 2006
Fish and Chips is Britain’s favourite takeaway and what’s more it’s significantly
lighter in fat and calories than its Indian and Chinese rivals and half the price. more
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November 2006
1 in 4 of all British Potatoes consumed in Britain are eaten as chips. more
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September 2005
Micheal Neill is the owner of two "Frying Squad" fish and chip shops in Newtownards and Bangor. Both have already...more
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August 2005
Local chippies battle it out to be the best in town... more
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July 2005
Businesses awarded for food hygiene... more
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July 2005
Businesses scoop Eat Safe awards... more
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July 2005
Chippie nets top award... more
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September 2003
High frying chippy catches a taste of success... more
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September 2003
Frying Squad nicks top award... more