Well fitted fish & chip shop, Colchester council estate

Key features

• £5,500–£6,000 weekly turnover on a conventional menu
• Council lease — same hands for 15 years
• Free car park directly in front of the shop
• Closing 9.00pm latest, no late-night trading
• Established within heart of huge council estate

About this business

A smartly fitted fish & chip takeaway in the heart of a large Colchester council estate, turning over £5,000 to £6,000 a week on a traditional menu and closing at 9.00pm latest. The current owner has held the shop for 15 successful years and is now selling on health grounds. The lease is held directly with the council, the parade has its own free car park, and the catchment is set to grow further with a major housing development proposed nearby.

Trading figures

Weekly turnover sits in the region of £5,500 to £6,000, taken almost entirely over the counter on a fairly conventional fish & chip menu. The shop closes at 9.00pm latest, so the takings are achieved without late-night trading — there is clear scope for new ownership to push the figures further.

Trading hours

Monday to Saturday: 11.30am – 9.00pm. Closed Sunday.

Business premises

A mid-terrace parade shop with the benefit of a car park directly in front, a fully glazed frontage with single door, and an eye-catching lit coloured fascia overhead. The sales shop is bright, airy and a good size, very well fitted with tiled walls and flooring under a suspended illuminated ceiling, fronted with a three-pan range and an attractive counter extension. Behind the frying and serving area, tucked into the corner, is a stainless-steel-clad cooking section with overhead extractor, shelving and a large menu display above. The layout continues through to a fully tiled preparation room which incorporates potato work and gives access to a rear service road for deliveries. A garage sits off the rear (let separately at around £75 monthly) which the business uses for storage. Throughout, the shop presents as clean, tidy and well maintained.

Trade equipment

The headline item is a three-pan Preston & Thomas counter range, supported by a good assortment of trade kit: rotisserie grill, POS till system, four-pot bain-marie, stainless steel fish keeper, salad servery, double-door glass-fronted fridge, griddle, separate fridge, upright freezer, double-door freezer, chipper and 56lb peeler. A full trade inventory will be provided prior to completion.

Trading position

Firmly established on a local parade of six shops, with the run of free parking immediately in front and bus stops on a busy through-route directly outside. The shop sits in the heart of a huge council estate, which produces steady year-round local trade alongside the passing traffic. The seller has informed us that a large housing development is proposed in the vicinity, which would expand the catchment further and underpin a healthy future for the business.

Special remarks

An excellent opportunity to acquire a well-fitted shop with the security of a council lease, sold by an owner who has built up a strong local reputation over 15 years of successful trading. The reason for sale is genuine — health issues are forcing the decision after a decade and a half in the same hands. For a hands-on operator stepping into an established, year-round trade with a closing time of 9.00pm and a captive estate catchment, the proposition is straightforward and the upside is there to be taken.