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Fish and chip shop celebrates 60 years
A fish and chip shop which counted Cary Grant as one of its most famous customers is celebrating its 60th birthday.
Rendezvous is located on Denmark Street almost opposite the stage door of the Hippodrome, where Hollywood star Grant worked when he was still known as Archie Leach.
The Georgiou family have owned and run Rendezvous since 1964, with a photo of Grant looking down from behind the counter.
is needed now More than ever
The Georgious were joined by an actor playing Horfield-born Grant on Thursday, which would have been his 120th birthday.
The double celebration took place ahead of the return of a new Cary Grant walking tour from Show of Strength.
Michael Georgiou inside Rendezvous – photo: Martin Booth
Rendezvous co-owner Michael Georgiou, 61, lives above the restaurant and takeaway.
He told Bristol24/7 that he felt “very proud” to mark six decades of Rendezvous, which was founded by his father, Demos, and is now run by Michael with his mother Helen and brother George.
“Since my father died, we have carried on for eight years so he’d be proud of us.
“He might not like the way we’re running the business because he made us work so hard. Now we all have nice holidays!
“But the truth is that we’re all getting too old to do all these hours. That’s the truth, you know.
“The sad thing is that after me and my brother, there’s nobody. The children don’t want the business. I don’t blame them when you see the hours you have to work.”
So what makes Rendezvous so good?
For Michael, it’s the friendliness of the welcome and the freshness of the oils.
“We keep our oils nice and clean. Once a week we clean our oils which I think is probably quite rare in chip shops now.
“A lot of my job is looking in my food cabinet, making sure that the food is good. Anything bad gets thrown in the dustbin.
“I wouldn’t cook you nothing that I wouldn’t eat myself.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
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