![]() He has been 'struggling' with rising costs which has left him feeling 'really stressed.' It is not like it used to be.” His gas and electricity bills have quadrupled from £600 to £2,500 in the space of six months.ĭespite consistently receiving regular business from the local community, Jimmy admitted that the cost of living crisis has hit him hard. Jimmy, 62, who has run the chip shop for 38 years, said: “Everything has gone up, to be honest. Owner of Beech Tree Fish Bar, Jimmy Hadjitofi (Right) with Manager Stephanie Bedford (Left) (Image: CoventryLive/Tristan Potter)Īs the global energy crisis deepens, Jimmy Hadjitofi, 62, who runs Beech Tree Fish Bar, has seen his energy bills skyrocket as tariffs continue to rise. All we do is pay out, and I am sick of it.” 'You work all your life and the next minute you have got nothing' I am managing to pay my VAT but I am dreading when my other bills come in like my dustbin bills, buildings and contents insurance, all the telephone bills.”Įlene added that she and her husband, who both work full-time, only earn £5/£6 per hour which has left them merely 'getting by.' She said: “You would think being a busy shop like ours we would be raking in £60,000 or £70,000 a year. She said: “I am just about managing at the minute. She echoed the thoughts of Charles and called on MPs to lower VAT, which currently sits at 20%, to help businesses 'get back on their feet again.'Įlene revealed that she is currently forking out £1,700 each week in VAT. Luckily, Elene managed to escape the energy price hikes as her brother-in-law, whom she took the business over from in April, had already signed a fixed deal which has locked the price for the duration of the contract.Įlene slammed the Government and said the lack of support for small businesses would lead to the closure of fish and chip shops city-wide. 'I am too scared to put my prices up in case I lose the footfall'Įlene Kattou, 56, has seen fish and potatoes 'double in price' (Image: CoventryLive/Tristan Potter) He said in doing so the much-loved chip shop would be able to 'move a lot freer' and potentially reduce prices for customers. It is a no-brainer really if we have got no customers.”Ĭharles added that he would like to see the Government lower VAT for small businesses as they did at the height of the pandemic. It is dead after 8.30pm, so there is no point in staying open with all of the lights and the gas cookers burning away. He said: “We are going to have to see how trade is, we have seen a little bit of a downturn. With oil, fish and other staples skyrocketing, Charles is now having to reconsider the future of his fish and chip shop. It is more or less about survival and seeing what happens in the next six months.” He added: “I think everybody is in the same boat. He said: “It is difficult because I have been here over 25 years and the customers, you do not want to pass everything on to them because we know they have got electricity and gas bills to pay at home as well.” “Customers are buying a lot of smaller things, like sausages instead of fish, they are not buying pies as much now,” said Charles.Ĭharles has been forced to hike prices but found this 'difficult' as he did not want to pass the extra costs onto customers. It is more than double, what do you do? We cannot buy cheaper oil because it is not as good so we have to try, we are lucky because we have been here a while and got customers behind us.”Ī change in customers' purchasing habits has also led to a steady decline in profit with people buying 'smaller portions' or alternatives to expensive chip shop staples. ![]() He said: “A box of oil we used to buy for £13 or £14 is now £29.50. He said the supply cost of fish, potatoes and other chip shop staples has also risen significantly.Ĭharles, 50, said energy prices have 'gone mad' (Image: CoventryLive/Tristan Potter) We only sell fresh fish in the shop so our fish is an extortionate price, but we have to try and survive, try and hold tight for the next year or so and see how we go from there” said Charles.Ĭharles has also seen his energy bills 'double' over the past six months. It is gas and electricity, it has gone mad and everything has gone up. Charles, 50, said in all his time running the local business, he has never seen such severe price hikes with costs doubling in recent months. However, the popular chip shop has faced significant challenges due to rises in energy costs and food price inflation. Charlies Plaice, on Sewall Highway, attracts customers from all over the city and was recently voted the best city chip shop by CoventryLive readers. ![]() Owner of Charlies Plaice, Charles Economou, 50 (Image: CoventryLive/Tristan Potter)Ĭharles Economou, 50, has been at the helm of one of the most popular fish and chip shops in Coventry for almost three decades. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |