A Bedfordshire fish and chip shop has got its local community talking – and dancing – with a unique promotion.
The Codfather in Houghton Regis displayed a notice on the door offering free gelato shakes to customers willing to dance upon entering the shop.
Launched to bring some fun to the community, Juliano Brito, who co-owns The Codfather as well as two additional shops of the same name, comments: “We just wanted to do something a bit fun, give something back and put a smile on people’s faces. It’s been great to see people getting involved.”
Customers of all ages, from children to parents, took the chippy up on its offer, showing up and showing off. The shop has compiled a video collage of the best performances, which has quickly gained traction on social media.
The promotion ran for two days, during which Juliano estimates 20 milkshakes were given away. However, the success of the initiative wasn’t measured in free drinks but in the engagement it sparked within the community.
“We’ve had some really funny dances,” says Juliano. “The reaction has been incredible, everyone is saying how funny it is. It’s got people talking about us, coming in and coming back.
“As a small family business, it’s so incredibly important for us to do things like this that get the community involved and allow us to give something away. Competition is hard, and prices of raw materials have skyrocketed so anything like this that gives us that extra visibility is amazing.”
Given the positive response, Juliano plans to bring the dancing promotion back but next time the date will remain a surprise. “We want to keep it spontaneous and catch people off guard, so when they see the notice they can jump in and dance,” he says.
The Codfather has a history of giving back: it introduced a ‘pay it forward scheme’ during Covid and has donated vouchers to the local food bank.
To visit The Codfather’s Facebook page and watch the compilation, click here.
