Recipe for success at Daniela’s
The key ingredient for the success at Daniela has been a good reputation. With the owners known for providing good quality products along with an eye-catching refit, proprietors Daniela and Simon Charlton have turned around the shop’s previously bleak prospects.
The shop, in East Boldon, Tyne and Wear, was originally a fish and chip shop but had to close down after 11 months due to a reputation for serving poor quality food. When Daniela and Simon took the place on, they knew that in order to succeed, they had to make a point that the owners have changed and they would provide a vastly improved service.
‘We tried to make the shop look completely different to show the customers that there were different owners,’ Daniela explained. And their plan has obviously worked! Not only is the shop really busy but also ‘everyone is commenting on the shop fit and saying how clean everything looks.’
Central to the refit is an eye-catching chandelier which was not only the first item that Daniela purchased but also generates the most comments about their refit. ‘We wanted it to look like a fish and chip shop but at the same time to look completely different. People want more for their money these days and with this smart refit, the customers feel like they’re getting it.’
Although Daniela’s previous business was a floristry shop and had nothing to do with fish and chips, it has still helped to bring people to their door; people still remember the quality of the flowers, so they know they will get similar quality in her new business. ‘My family have been in the fish and chip industry for years and when I helped my sister in her shop I remembered how much I loved it especially with all the customer contact so when I saw that this shop was available, I jumped at the chance to get it. The shop is on a busy main road so there were others who also wanted to take the shop over, but I think the fact that I had a successful, quality business as well as previous experience in the trade helped me win the shop.’
From Daniela’s experience in the trade, she knew that Florigo fryers were reliable: her Uncle had one so she was very familiar with the range and liked how they worked. In particular, she really liked round pans so made sure her island range included 2 round pans to fry her chips as well as an electric griddle to serve up a variety of fish such as garlic tiger prawns. ‘I’m definitely please with the range,’ Daniela revealed, ‘I’ve had excellent service from all the team and any little query I’ve had has been sorted!’
The proof of their success has to be that they are not just getting passing trade from the local area; their good reputation is spreading and thanks to word of mouth people are flocking to the shop from all over the area.