BIG INTERVIEW: SETTLING IN AT SCARBOROUGH

Operating four busy fish and chip restaurants and takeaways in Whitby – Quayside, Royal Fisheries and two under the Fish Box brand, plus a fish and chips trailer, Fusco’s of Whitby has expanded with its first site outside of the North Yorkshire seaside town. We speak to commercial director Adrian Fusco about the timing and the reasons behind the new venture

How was 2024 for Fusco’s of Whitby?

2024 was a great year for us, the highlight being the completion of Winking Willy’s Restaurant and Takeaway in Scarborough in December. Our preparation and storage areas have been streamlined now we are fully operational at our industrial unit just out of town. All our fish is cut here, the chips are prepped here and we hold all our refrigerated and ambient stock here too. It serves all our sites and by centralising everything it’s made our business so much more efficient. Making better efficiencies is something we will continue into 2025. 

Were you looking for a new opportunity or did Winking Willy’s come up at the right time?

We have actively been looking for an opportunity in Scarborough for some time but have always felt that the location of the shop had to be just right, so when Winking Willy’s Restaurant and Takeaway came up for sale, we were quick to make an offer. The timing of this next phase of our expansion is right for us. Over the last five years, we have been putting systems in place that now allow us to expand more easily. Our industrial unit has increased our storage, allowing us to take advantage of ordering larger stock quantities and streamline the preparation of our fish and potatoes. 

What appealed to you about this location as it is outside of Whitby where your other businesses are?

Scarborough isn’t too far from us, we can be there in about half an hour and, like Whitby, South Bay remains a popular destination for tourists, with plenty of attractions for visitors looking for a traditional fun day at the seaside. The shop is ideally located between the harbour and the beach, which makes it an ideal location for customers who are either coming off the beach or strolling by the harbour. The views from the first floor are fantastic; the harbour is just to the left and the beach to your right. The best of both worlds when you’re at the seaside! Also, it’s a family business with a long-standing, good reputation, which we felt had a lot of synergy with. 

What are your plans for running the new business and are there changes in the pipeline?

We opened the shop the day after we exchanged and began using our fish and chips that day. Winking Willy’s has a brilliant team and great management in place already and we are fortunate that the team are staying with us. The shop works very well already, and it is a long-established part of the South Bay. We go every day and will, of course, make some natural changes. We will make tweaks to the menu, so that we carry similar stock throughout our businesses, and we have ordered a new frying range which is scheduled to be installed in early March. The current layout of the takeaway will remain largely unchanged, it works very well as it is. 

Are there any plans to expand the menu?

We believe that we should try to cater for everyone, but without adding unnecessary complication behind the scenes. We think there is an opportunity for a gluten free option, and this is something that will be available when the new range is fitted.  

How do you feel about investing in a new business right now with so much uncertainty around?

The economy and associated uncertainty is always a concern as I’m sure it is for most businesses, but instead of letting the wider economic concerns prevent us from expanding and developing, we know that we need to generate growth in other ways. Our growth will come from increasing our turnover (with our new venture) and increasing our margins via better buying power and utilising economies of scale. This year, we are focusing on tailoring the menus to suit the market, so if our customers wish to have a smaller portion at a lower price, then we will give them the option. We are also giving very careful consideration to our opening hours as well as our marketing strategies.