Owners of Grosvenor Fish Bar shelve plans to sell up

The Grosvenor Fish Bar. Picture: Archant (Image: Archant Norfolk 2017)

Duane Dibartolomeo, who runs the fish and chip restaurant in Lower Goat Lane with partner Christian Motta, said they were no longer planning to sell the business.

And he revealed they hoped to reopen the restaurant, closed because of coronavirus, in October.

Meanwhile their new delivery service which started in lockdown – and saw 400 orders in five hours when first launched – continues to be successful. Currently the firm is using their own delivery drivers rather than Uber Eats because of the high demand.

However, this could stop when the restaurant reopens, he said.

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The couple had originally decided to sell up so Mr Motta’s mum Rosanna, could retire to a warmer climate. But Mr Dibartolomeo said that they were now intent on staying in Norwich.

“We are definitely staying, we love it here,” he said. “We’ve had a good summer and we are adjusting to the new changes. We are using private companies to deliver now and want to reopen the restaurant but it’s quite tight in there with no space.”

He said the deliveries had really taken off since launching a ‘golden ticket’ offer where a random winner gets their delivery meal free.

Mr Dibartolomeo’s family hails from Florida and he had planned on moving back there for the warmer weather.

The couple have run the Grosvenor Fish Bar since 2012 and had planned to sell the leasehold for £400,000-£500,000 while retaining the freehold of the building which includes their stylish apartment over the shop.

Back in February when it was named one of the best places in the UK to eat on a budget.

And in August last year the chief executive of an Asian airline extolled the virtues of Norwich with a travel review praising the fish and chip bar.

Duong Tri Thanh mentioned the restaurant in a travel review published in the airline’s in-flight magazine.