The Tzouroutis family are calling time on their successful family fish and chip business after 12 years in Strathfieldsaye, and more than double that time in the hospitality industry.
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The stalwart business, Strathfieldsaye Take-away Fish and Chips and Pizza, has been around for so long that owner Nick Tzouroutis has watched some of his most loyal customers grow from children into adults.
"They're fully qualified builders, nurses, it's just great to see," he said.
Nick and his wife Toula have been doing similar work in Bendigo for around 28 years with Nick starting off at Condon Street Takeaway, then Alder Street Takeaway and Toppers Cafe.
"This was our last stop - and we are the last Greeks to own a fish and chip shop in Bendigo which is unreal," he said.
"Whereas in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, they were just dominated by Greek people."
The family said they would have preferred to stay but lease issues meant it was time to call it a day, from Saturday, May 28.
"Over the 12 years we have been here, the friends we've created will be lifelong friends, and the saddest part about getting up and leaving is this community will not have a local fish and chip shop anymore," Nick said.
"So the poor buggers are going to have to travel 10 kilometers to get the nearest fish and chips."
The business has well and truly been a family operation with Nick and Toula at the helm, with Toula's father Arthur Maravelis on board to help and of course the couple's children - Nicoletta, Pete and Janna.
"We're very fortunate we ended up in Strathfieldsaye because as a community, the people around us are just magnificent," Nick said.
"We've even had 10-year-old kids, 15 or 17-year-old kids manage 'yes, please' or 'no, thank you' - and you never got that anywhere else."
"It's just the people really - the people, the support, the kinders and all the football clubs - it's just so community minded," Toula added.
Toula said the family will now have a well-earned month off and wait and see what happens next.
"We're looking forward to having a weekend off and sitting down as a family every night and having dinner at the table together which we haven't done for a very, very long time," Nick said.
The end of this chapter also brings to an end the broader legacy of Toula's father Arthur and his history of running fish and chip shops locally in Bendigo.
"He had fish and chip shops in Kangaroo Flat and in Eaglehawk back in the 1980s and '90s," Toula said.
"We used to help dad when we were little kids at the shops so it's always pretty much been in our blood.
"But this was definitely the last stop for us and with the kids as well."
"They (the kids) don't have to worry about doing their jobs and thinking 'gosh, I've got to help mum and dad up in the fish shop' - now I think it's time for them to get on and do their own thing."
While the family have not had a "fairytale" end to their business with issues beyond their control, they are grateful for the support they have received over the years and are looking forward to the next chapter of their lives.
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