Fish dinner winner: George's new owners plan to stick with 60 years of tradition

New George's Fisheries owners Shontelle and Richard Faavesi are surprised and pleased to find themselves behind the counter. Photo / Lewis Gardner

George Matsis is delighted that the Whanganui fish and chip shop he founded more than 60 years ago is in good hands.

The popular George's Fisheries and Restaurant in Victoria Ave is remarkably unchanged from the business he opened in 1958.

"There are some new things on the menu but nothing has been taken away," Matsis said.

Matsis gives his seal of approval to new owners Shontelle and Richard Faavesi who are the third owners since he sold the business in 2007.

"I go there to buy my fish every week and it is beautiful but I don't get them to cook it - I do that myself."

Shontelle began working for George's previous owners a year ago and said the idea of owning the business never occurred to her.

"I'm an accountant and although I was enjoying working here I would never have seen myself running the business.

"Richie and I have a strong Christian faith and I'm convinced that this is the plan God had for us."

Richard said he took a bit of convincing, however.

"I'm a truck driver and it was my passion but I was having to drive to Palmerston North every day because I hadn't been able to find work with a Whanganui company since we moved here from Auckland four years ago.

"Shontelle gave me a three months' heads-up that the owners wanted to sell and as I came round to the idea I was able to reduce my driving hours to two days a week and spend three days here so I could learn fish cutting from the previous owner."

He is now filleting like an expert and training young family member Tanga Maniapoto.

"It means if Shontelle needs to take time off, I can take over her work and Tanga will take care of the fish."

Richard Faavesi has proved to be a quick study in fish cutting and is now training Tanga Maniapoto in the art. Photo / Lewis Gardner

Shontelle said although she has been able to observe the running of George's as a staff member there was a lot she did not realise until she became the boss.

"The turnover of fresh fish sales is huge and we deal with a few suppliers.

"I knew before that Friday nights were busy but when you see the figures on paper, you realise it is phenomenally busy."

The Faavesis say the handover from the previous owners has been seamless and they have kept the existing staff on.

"We have two full-timers and two extras working on Friday nights," Shontelle said.

"The business is far from broken so there was no need to fix anything.

"It's great when George comes in to buy his fish and tells us that we're doing well."

George Matsis came to New Zealand from Cyprus in 1957 and began his working life in Whanganui in his brother Andrew's fish and chip shop, The Black Cat Cafe, before opening his own shop.

He ran the business for almost 50 years before selling it to Yvonne and Greg Robinson in 2007.

"It is still a traditional fish and chip shop where people can sit down and have white bread and butter with their fish and chips and that's why people like it so much," Matsis said.

The Faavesis say they will continue to provide the quality service George's customers expect but they do have one confession to make.

"It's about the hand-cut chips," Shontelle said.

"The potatoes from our supplier have too much sugar in them this year which makes them no good for frying.

"We know how disappointing that is for people and we will be back to serving hand-cut ones from early March."

Every other aspect of the product and service Whanganui people know and love will be the same, she said.