A newly opened Portadown-based fish and chip shop has slammed pranksters after a £71 illegitimate order left them with bags full of cooling food – and not a penny for it.
The order was placed on June 6 with Danny’s Chippy, which opened just two months ago in April on Park Road Portadown, occupying the former Lucabaps premises.
Speaking to Armagh I, a staff member for the takeaway explained: “A phone call came through wanting to place an order. I asked if it was collection or delivery and they said for collection. The last question was if we had a card machine and I said yes, that was grand.
“I got a phone number off them and the name of Suzanne. I called back soon after to confirm the order and the number was for a local primary school.
“Initially the girl that answered when I called confirmed the order but whenever I called back again a man answered and said there was no Suzanne there.
“They said there was a Suzanne that works there but she’s off for a couple of weeks. The person who first confirmed the order must have assumed it was an order for stationery or something.
“I was obviously given a wrong number,” they said.
By this stage the team had the entire order freshly prepared and stored in a heater bag, keeping it warm for the mystery customer.
However, much to the team’s dismay, the order was never collected.
Swallowing the financial loss wasn’t easy for the new business but they were unwilling to let the food, they had so lovingly prepared, go to waste.
The staff member continued: “We have a park across the road and there were kids coming in and out getting slushies, milkshakes and things like that so I just offered them the food and they took it.
“It was four chicken burgers, two beef burgers, two portion of fish and the price of fish is extortionate!
“My plan for the future now is if a big order comes through we will half prepare it or ask the customer if they can make a partial payment.
“There are a few customers that we do get regular large orders off, so if we know them it’s fine, but if not we will just have to explain that due to past incidents that we need to take some payment.
“It’s very unfair on genuine customers that want to place an order and don’t want the hassle of paying up front. What they want is the convenience.”
Whilst, it has not been a pleasant experience for the burgeoning eatery the ordeal hasn’t left a bad taste in their mouth entirely.
“The local support has been incredible,” they added. “The amount of people that responded to that incident was shocking.
“My advice to those kind of people is to stop doing it. Go and make a living themselves and know what it’s like to work hard and earn that money and they will soon know about it and the struggles that local businesses go through.”
