Harry Ramsden's goes fishing for fun: Chippie chain expands into leisure
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.HARRY RAMSDEN'S is expanding into takeaway fish and chips, and adding leisure activities to some of its restaurants, as part of a strategy for continuing the group's growth.
John Barnes, chairman, believes that there is scope for only 20 of the group's large fish and chip restaurants. It already has eight restaurants, with another five due to open this year, so the group is likely to achieve its target by 1997.
It has already expanded internationally - its first overseas store was opened in Hong Kong last year and it hopes to open in Singapore, Melbourne and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, shortly. It has also acquired a 50 per cent stake in Welbourne Ramsden's, a takeaway fish and chip shop company, which has just acquired 11 small freehold sites in the South of England. These will become takeaway fish and chip shops.
The group also announced that it had bought an amusement and fairground area next to its Guiseley restaurant. 'The owner bought it years ago and I have negotiated with him every year and have finally persuaded him to sell.' The facilities will be upgraded and Mr Barnes said most of the other restaurants had space for similar developments.
The announcements came as the group disclosed that profits for the year to October had risen by a third to pounds 815,295, while earnings rose a similar amount to 7.2p.
That has triggered the conversion of the 2 million 'B' shares, created when the group floated in 1989, into ordinary shares, so that they qualified for the maintained 3.5p dividend for the first time.
The rise in profits reflected a strong performance at the original Guiseley restaurant as well as the benefit of new openings.
(Photograph omitted)
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments