What would you want to buy at the seaside?

[CarrotCrusader]

I am sick of the grind and unsupportive managers.

I live in a very busy seaside town. Nine out of twelve months are busy.

One of my passions is cooking and I'd love to have a unit and turn it in to an eatery. Apart from the usual fish and chips, what other food would you like at the seaside? I thought about Spanish tapasand streetfood but perhaps that's too niche. Also thought about hot roast barms with a few roasties as sides. This isn't an affluent town and I'm thinking small premises with no more than six tables, but mostly takeout.

That must be so difficult and I’d do the same. I don’t suppose OP would make money with such a limiting offer, though.

Sherringham has a Mexican food place, it’s lush!

I live in a seaside town. There are a few old fashioned restaurants that do well. Those that sell cottage pie, chicken pie, bangers and mash etc. As well as fish and chips there seems to be every other cuisine under the sun and they all do very well.

If it was without my children - I don't like heavy or greasy food - so decent high quality healthy food with great flavours would be my choice

But I agree with others that you have to choose what will sell well

Jacket potatoes and toasties, keep it simple.

Quite possibly, I was just answering op's question

That said, now a seaside town near us has a cafe that started selling vegan ice creams safely, we go there regularly and choose that resort above other ones and so does everyone locally with a child with dairy allergies

I live in a buckets and spades seaside town in the south west. We had a picnic shop but it wasn't a success, I confess it surprised me. They did things like pre-book your picnic or book a pack for journey home or just come in and buy whatever but it didn't survive long.

The issue with having loads of options is that you have to balance supply and demand, and you almost always end up with loads of waste.

We had a churros wagon in my town, lasted one season

While I agree about the origins of Mary’s Whitby is in no way an affluent town! It’s a working class fishing town, which is frankly being strangled by lack of real regulations on holiday homes, driven by greed and short sightedness, and it’s having a major impact on residents.
Having said that, Sandsend is pretty much owned by the Musgrave estate, and has always been more chi chi, with strict rules on what sort of business was allowed.
Anyway, I do agree that a bit of real market research when opening any business is vital.

I think the big thing is people don't have the money. Say a family of 4 in my town, they want four ice creams that's £16 want flakes that makes it £18. Fish and chips for 4 is the best part of £40 and then drinks. Lidl is full of holiday makers in the summer buying a box of ice lols, bottles of coke etc. People can't spend what they don't have.

Yep, that too. It's cheaper to go to Lidl or Aldi. Our local Tesco is always rammed on bank holidays and in the summer - because it's cheap.

Hog roast!! Nice nap, stuffing, pork and apple sauce. 😋

I also live in the coast and if somewhere sold that it would be my go to every time.

Sadly they all sell greasy sausage and chips!

The food places that do well here are selling traditional or fast food stuff like chips, hot dogs, waffles and ice cream - but they keep it going in the winter months by offering bacon rolls and often soup as well, which are popular with dog walkers.

It's not always easy getting a unit right by the beach or a trading spot there.

It might also be a good idea to run as a market stall to build up a following and test out whether it really is for you, before handing in your notice!

Portobello in Edinburgh has a great range of food options but then it's going to be bolstered by Edinburgh being a year round destination.

Our local seaside town has a range of food huts and one is no 1 on trip advisor for restaurants, beating really good pubs and posh restaurants. It sells super fresh seafood, eaten at picnic benches, from noon to 4pm and is always booked up in advance through their Facebook page. They also have an alcohol licence. They have a limited range but it's decent value and top quality. Things like seafood chowder or lobster bisque with crusty bread, ploughmans, paella etc, so easy to prepare in advance and very tasty and sociable. In the evenings a,Thai lady operates from the hut, selling Thai streetfood and sharing the running costs as neither business could afford to operate alone

Definitely pasties (if you're not already overrun with pasty shops). Easy to make in advance, portable, can be eaten on the beach etc.

Personally I'd go for a coffee shop with good homemade cakes and pasties. I'd also do bacon baps and the like in the morning to tempt local trade and dog walkers. If successful you could then expand your repetoire. Please do not listen to the Vietnamese type suggestions. For seasonal and fairly working class clientele it won't last five minutes. I'd also say that purchasing a food truck is bloody expensive and getting permits can be a nightmare, so don't go down that route either.

Where is the space coming from for all these carvery options?

I'd go for chilli and curry

Jacket Potato or rice.

Hmm, not “in no way” but yes, there are large pockets of deprivation. The spending power of the tourists the OP wishes to appeal to would be decent should she be in Whitby.

She’s clearly not describing the Whitby tourist season. It might help if the OP did specify a town

Hot cakes ?

I live by the sea and would say, keep it simple.
The first thought in everyone's mind when they go to the coast is fish and chips, so why not go 'posh fish finger sarnies', easy to eat as a take away, and delicious.
Breakfasts: butties - bacon, sausage, fried egg.....
Lunch: Posh fish finger butty, loaded fries, paninis
Later: cakes, cookies, coffees

And if you do that, and move near me, I'd love you😅

This is the sort of thing I think most people would want at the seaside.

Hot drinks: Coffee, tea, fruit/herbal teas, hot chocolate with marshmallows and sprinkles.

Cold drinks: water, fizzy drinks, flavoured water, iced coffee, iced tea, slushies.

Hot food: fish and chips, burgers, jacket potatoes, kids beige stuff, all-day breakfast, pancakes, toast, toasted sandwiches/paninis, soup with crusty bread.

Cold food: sandwiches or filled rolls or baguettes, salad, quiche, ice-cream, cakes, cookies or biscuits, chocolate bars/sweets.

If you could also offer some vegetarian or maybe vegan options in each section, that would widen the appeal.

Coffee. Really good coffee. Hot rolls for breakfast through lunch and sandwiches or baguettes that can be a picnic on the beach.

What about crepes ? They smell delicious, can take away, sweet or savoury

Proper Breville toasties - the ones with the two different compartments band you get the lines and caramelised crusty bits.

Proper pizzas.