A Sydney fish and chip shop has ignited public fury for charging $28 for a large serving of wedges, a price that a Queensland restaurant owner suggests is a reflection of current economic pressures. The northern Sydney establishment also faced criticism for pricing Chiko rolls at $3.50 and large chips at $18.50.
An irate customer shared a photograph of the menu online, prompting a wave of condemnation from social media users who decried the cost as exorbitant. George Tselepis, owner of George's Grill Seafood and Burgers in Queensland, commented that the era of inexpensive bulk chips is over. He noted that increased fuel prices and interest rates directly impact sales, forcing business owners to adjust prices to maintain profitability.
"Having fish and chips is certainly not cheap," Tselepis told Yahoo. "We notice when the price of fuel goes up, the sales drop off. When there's an interest rate rise, obviously sales drop off. If you run a business well, I don't think you get worried about the price increases. People who are fortunate are gonna pay."
Tselepis, who has been in the food service industry for nearly 40 years, explained that the cumulative costs of food, wages, superannuation, rent, and insurance necessitate price adjustments. He recalled a time when a four-kilogram basket of chips retailed for approximately $5. Today, his shop sells a 1.2-kilogram portion of large chips for $12.
His establishment's menu includes a fish dinner, featuring 200 grams of dragon snapper or barramundi with chips and salad, for $29.50. A cod dinner is priced at $23.90.
The customer who shared the Sydney shop's menu, Anthony Luchetti, called the business "greedy." Many commenters agreed, suggesting that customers should prepare meals at home or that shops should be more reasonably priced. Some reminisced about childhood purchases of larger quantities of food for significantly less money.
However, others defended the business owners, pointing out that rising supply costs and commercial rents leave little choice but to increase prices. One commenter suggested opening a similar business to understand the financial challenges involved.
"A lot of these owners have to raise prices. Cost of their supply has gone up because everything else has gone up. Commercial rents are an absolute joke for shop owners," one user commented. "Greed is 100 per cent the problem."