A Happy Ending For Sydelle’s Fish and Chips In Bedford
HALIFAX – In a year where it seems happy endings and heart-warming stories are few and far between, the story arc of Sydelle’s Fish and Chips is one that stands out during these difficult times.
At first, 2020 wasn’t so bad for the popular Bedford restaurant. In the spring, a loyal customer wrote a positive review on Facebook that went viral, creating more business at a time when restaurants needed it the most.
But in August, tragedy struck the small fish and chip joint when it burned down. The owner, David Nicholson, has always suspected arson but the Halifax Regional Police was not able to prove it. The police listed the fire as “suspicious,” but the investigation is now inactive.
Nicholson was renting his building at the time of the fire. Nicholson didn’t have insurance so all was lost in the fire.
Losing the restaurant in the middle of a pandemic was difficult for the father of four young children. But Sydelle’s was so popular in the community that fundraisers were set up to help him and the Nicholson family get by.
“Like anyone who would lose their income, you scrounge, and you do what you have to do in order to provide for your family, which is what I did,” said Nicholson. “I’ve had some pretty substantial help along the way.”
RELATED: How One Customer’s Review Caused This Restaurant To Sell Out Of Food
The biggest help came when Nicholson was offered a new space to lease on the corner of Cobequid and Glendale Ave in Sackville. The space was bigger and brighter and, best of all, it’s located on a busy intersection. It was a huge upgrade over the old location.
Nicholson spent all of December constructing the interior of the restaurant from scratch. Then, on December 30, he opened the new and improved Sydelle’s to a mass of awaiting customers. For the first six days of the reopening, Nicholson was forced to close early after running out of food.
We’ve not been able to take phone-in orders at any peak times,” says Nicholson. “At supper time, we have to take the phone off the hook. It just rings nonstop and we have lineups out the door down the sidewalk.”
“100 pounds of potatoes may have done for me before, but now I’m ordering 1,000 pounds of potatoes at a time.”
The amount of business Nicholson has done in the first two weeks has been double his expectations. In retrospect, the entrepreneur isn’t surprised by the high demand. Over 10 years, Sydelle’s built a loyal customer base and the story of his rebuild from the ashes has touched the hearts of many. Nicholson is also proud of the quality of his food and the legacy he has built for himself.
“The little dive-place I was in for 10 years got a lot of support from people. Add social media, add people knowing our story, add the different news outlets that have caught on to our story, and the fact that we just have a great product,” he said. “Now we’re in a better location at we’re more exposed.”
“Sydelle’s was kind of on its last legs, in terms of the building, and someone took that away from me. But now I have this beautiful new restaurant. And now I’m seeing it filled with people every day.”
RELATED: Loyal Customer Starts Fundraising Campaign For Bedford Restaurant Destroyed By Fire
The high customer demand has made things complicated, due to public health restrictions. Nicholson only allows eight people inside at one time. He also doesn’t allow in-person dining during peak supper hours.
The demand has also slowed his plans to introduce new menu items. Nicholson has a variety of culinary expertise and he wants to show his flare with his new restaurant. So far, he has only been able to introduce seafood chowder on Friday’s which has turned out to be a big hit. The very first Friday he sold 40 litres of chowder in five hours.
In the next few weeks, Nicholson plans to implement more options on his menu. He was already ordered a bunch of brand new equipment to meet the demand. He currently employs seven staff members, six more than he had hired at his old building.
Nicholson has even grander ambitions for his restaurant in the years to come. He believes Sydelle’s has what it takes to have multiple locations. Maybe we will see a chain of Sydelle’s Fish and Chip restaurants throughout the city and elsewhere. And because he is focused on the future, Nicholson’s mind is far from the ashes of his old building that burned down back in August.
“To be honest, I don’t think about it a whole lot. I spent enough time thinking about it. And now, I’m very focused on the future.”