SA Franchise Warehouse

Fast food offerings must reflect the pulse of the economic climate

Despite the tough economic climate, fast food remains a popular choice for South African families, but in order to attract and sustain a robust customer base, fast food franchisors need to ensure their menus reflect the financial environment and offer customers “more for their money”. Jan de Beer, Managing Executive of The Fish & Chip Co. says this popular fast food outlet has not only recently revisited its national menu to remain relevant to customers’ pockets, but also offers special promotions to attract more business. 

With so many fast food choices, South Africans don’t have to go far to find a meal that everyone in the family would like to eat. The local fast food market is very competitive and each player needs to stay at the cutting edge of marketing to arrive at an approach that prompts people to spend their hard-earned money at their particular fast food restaurant.  

Fish is the fourth largest fast food category in Africa and has grown considerably over the last five years, during which time The Fish & Chip Co. has become a well-established brand. The model works just as well in the low-income townships as in the middle class and tourist locations. However, we've recognised that our menu needs regular updates if it is to respond to competitors’ offerings and attract customers on the basis that they always get real value for their money. A recent analysis led to our latest menu update that includes many more family meals and has been graphically redesigned to have a more appealing look and feel. Certain menu items have also been reduced in price.

The new menu was introduced at The Fish & Chip Co. outlets countrywide in April, alongside, what we believe, is a really appealing short term promotion. Throughout the month of April and until 10 May 2015, we’re offering a meal for one comprising a medium hake and 320g of chips for R29,90 and a meal to share that consists of four pieces of medium hake, four rolls and 470g of chips, which will be sold at R99,90.

So far franchisees’ and customers’ responses to both the menu changes and the promotion have been very promising, proving that this combination of varied menu choices and tempting promotional meals offers the whole family something they would like to eat. 

In fact, The Fish & Chip Co.’s unique selling point is low prices combined with high quality, underpinned by an insistence on sustainable sourcing of fish. The group uses only wild fish (not farmed) and all fish come from sustainable fishing grounds. Potatoes are fresh and prepared daily on the premises and fried in vegetable oil that is free from additives, low in Trans fats and contains no hydrogenated fats and nut particles. 

The Fish & Chips Co is part of Taste Holdings, a South African-based management group that is invested in a portfolio of mostly franchised, category specialist and formula driven, quick-service restaurant and retail brands.