A Brisbane restaurant owner has called out customers complaining about high prices after a fish and chip shop was blasted for selling a ‘large wedges’ for $28.
George’s Grill Seafood and Burgers owner George Tselepis, 59, said the days were long gone when customers could buy kilos of chips for just $5.
His comment comes after a northern Sydney fish and chip shop sparked outrage for selling large chips for $18.50, a Chiko roll for $3.50 and wedges for $28.
An outraged customer shared a photo to social media, where Aussies were quick to slam the exorbitant prices.
Mr Tselepis said cost-of-living pressures were forcing business owners to increase prices for very little profit.
‘Having fish and chips is certainly not cheap,’ he 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.’
George Tselepis has worked at George’s Grill Seafood & Burgers in QLD for nearly 40 years
Customers online have blasted a Sydney fish and chip shop for selling a tray of wedges for $28
Mr Tselepis, who started working in the shop when he was aged 22, said the balance of food costs, staff wages, superannuation, rent and insurance has meant he has had to raise prices by $1 to $2 every few years.
‘I do remember back in the day, a basket of chips, which would have been about four kilos of chips, we’d retail for $5,’ he said.
‘Now, what we call large chips, which we weigh out to 1.2 kilos, we retail for $12. So a big jump there.’
According to his online menu, a fish dinner – which comes with 200 grams of fresh dragon snapper or barramundi, a 300-gram portion of chips and a salad – will set customers back $29.50.
The cod option is priced at $23.90.
Customer Anthony Luchetti labelled the northern Sydney fish and chip shop ‘greedy’ after discovering the prices.
‘What the f*** is this bulls**t? $18.50 for a large chips, greed has f***ing ruined this world! Nothing worse then when f***ing arseholes take over what was once a good takeaway shop!’ he said.
Many Aussies agreed, replying back to Mr Luchetti’s post with their own solutions to rising restaurant prices.
Mr Tselepis said he has had to raise his prices by $1 to $2 to keep up with costs
‘People need to cook more at home instead of relying on takeaway. I’m a 77 year old male, (I) grow my own potatoes at a community garden plot,’ one said.
Another commented: ‘You could buy the bag and air fryer and do them yourself.’
A person added: ‘I remember as a kid my mum giving me $5 and sending me down to the corner shop to get chips and scallops for the whole family… then even being able to get some lollies for myself with the change.’
However others defended the business and said Mr Luchetti shouldn’t have bought the chips if he was so angered by the prices.
‘Open your own fish and chip, buy from the same supplier as above, see how business goes,’ one person suggested.
Another said: ‘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. Greed is 100 per cent the problem.’
