The Wee Chippy was launched by Glaswegian Joe Gorrie in Venice Beach, California in 2013. Originally serving just fries, Gorrie added fish to the menu in 2015. The company started franchising in 2023 and Gorrie and his company have not looked back since, signing a 30 unit development deal with The Tastebuds Group in the summer of 2023 with sites slated to open in Texas, Florida, Colorado, and Tennessee.
Such rapid growth has been possible thanks to the chain’s relatively low start-up costs. New locations can be as small as 150 square feet. What’s more, each location only needs two fryers, a freezer, and a fridge to store and prepare all menu items. Low costs are one of the key aspects attracting prospective franchise owners to The Wee Chippy. The company estimates the minimum estimated cost of opening a Wee Chippy — including the franchise fee — to be $132,000. This is significantly less than other franchising opportunities, with McDonald’s franchisees paying at least $1.3 million to open a restaurant.
The Wee Chippy is also expanding on such a large scale because there is a distinct lack of competition. As Gorrie told SeafoodSource, “We are filling an opening in the market. Fish and chips is a universally loved dish, yet in the U.S., there is no known successful fish-and-chips brand.”
Read More: https://www.thedailymeal.com/1622615/fastest-growing-seafood-chains/