A MODEST fish and chop shop which has become a global phenomenon thanks to a viral video has reported record profits.
Elated owner Kamal Gandhi, 70, has attracted thousands of customers from across Britain and the world after a mystery fan raved about his chippy on social media site TikTok.
They crafted an online song on an account called welovebinleymegachippy – and then the business went stratospheric.
The shop owner has now seen profits at Binley Mega Chippy in Coventry, West Mids, rocket by a whopping 30 percent, and he reckons the secret is in the food.
Kamal, who took over the takeaway seven months ago, told The Sun Online: “It’s gone crazy. I’m very lucky!
“We’ve seen an influx of people since Friday when a video about us went viral, and profits have gone up by thirty percent.
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"It’s amazing and I hope it doesn’t fizzle out!"
The owner, who admits he has “no idea” why his little fry shop has suddenly taken off, kept coy about how much batter off he is after the surge in customers.
He believes the recipe to his success is “looking after customers and giving them good food”.
Kamal said: “They’ll keep coming back.”
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Speaking to The Sun Online, where lunch service at the takeaway was non-stop on Tuesday, with queues snaked around the car park, he said: “That was hectic! It’s been like that for the past few days.”
Kamal, who has been running chippies for 30 years with his first one opening in Birmingham, explained: “It was always quite a busy shop – now thanks to TikTok it is extraordinarily busy.”
He said he was "so thankful" for the extraordinary support from hungry punters.
Among a roster of visitors to the West Midlands chippy was a fish and chip lover from Australia who had been visiting the area from Sydney and swung by to see what all the fuss was about.
They said they were "not disappointed" by their fish and chips.
Kamal, who employs eight to ten family members even said a holidaymaker from Texas, USA, and a minibus load of food lovers from Dundee had also swung by for some grub.
But they joined hefty queues of up to 20-minute in the sun and rain with other punters from across the UK keen to sink their teeth into Kamal's battered goodies.
Supermarket worker Joe Szmodics. 21, from March in Cambridgeshire, said: “It’s well worth the trip and cost of petrol. What else are you going to do on your day off?”
He was accompanied by Uni pal Jonson Clarke-Harris, who said after taking selfies in front of the shop: “It took us two hours to get here but it’s the place to be.”
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Bathroom salesman Dan Evans, 23, from Oxford, scoffing his meal from paper while hanging around with crowds outside, said: “It’s my first time here and it’s a very good lunch. I’d give it eight out of ten.”
His mate aspiring Saxton Rovers amateur footballer, 21, also from Oxford chipped in: “I probably shouldn’t be eating all this but I’ll burn it off and it is delicious!”
Kamal, who is vegetarian, said customers’ favourite meal was cod, chips and mushy peas for £10.20 and some top it off with lashings of curry sauce.
He tucks into a plateful when he has time but nothing beats his wife’s veggie curry, saying: “That is just the best!”
His nephew Shakil (no surname), who helps out, grinned: “It feels good and the shop is rammed.”
A young lad who didn’t give his name and the shop didn’t recognise as being a local, came in on Monday claiming he was behind the viral video.
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The chippy are not certain he was behind the video but he got a free meal anyway.
Kamal, who only takes Sundays off, said: “I love my job and it’s nice seeing people satisfied with a decent cooked meal."
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