The chips are down at a popular Dumbarton takeaway forced to ditch their fryer due to the soaring cost of energy.
Bangin’ Pizza in Dumbarton East has seen bills jump from £300 a month to more than £4000.
Pals Stephen Kirkwood and Steven Galloni opened the takeaway in 2021 after the pandemic forced them to scale back their music business, Skapade Studios.
The Castlegreen Street takeaway quickly became a hit and was nominated for Best Pizza at the Scottish Italian Awards.
But it now faces an uncertain future amid skyrocketing costs.
The duo have been forced to close at lunch time and take chips off the menu because of the cost of running and fixing their fryer.
And they redesigned their menu with more side dishes that don’t need to be cooked in an oven, as they work to keep the business afloat.
Stephen said: “It’s very stressful. You think about it morning, noon and night, which isn’t healthy.
“Our energy bill was around £300 to £400 a month when we opened, which was probably about average for a takeaway. Recently each month it has been doubling though, our electric bill alone is now £4000 a month and we’re dreading what comes next.
“When our fryer broke down we knew it would cost about £4000 for a new one, so we decided to keep the fries off the menu because it was also costing us money to make them.
“The prices have gone through the roof to the point where we’re pretty worried for the future.”
But Stephen added: “We’re not going to lie back and take it, we’re going to try our best to innovate our way through it.
“We’re redesigning the menu with new options that don’t require an oven; healthier Italian sides. We’re being proactive and not letting this beat us.”
The takeaway boss thanked customers for their support, as he called for businesses to join together to force further action from the government.
He added: “Our loyal customer base are now on our side a wee bit more because we have been transparent about the challenges on social media. A lot of the time you can be a wee bit too proud to explain the real issues, but I’m glad we did it.
“I think transparency and people speaking up is key. All businesses should start speaking to customers and being transparent, joining together as a collective to discuss these issues. There is power in numbers.
“The more people who know about the issues we are facing, the more chance there is of a solution.
“We love what we do. We’re super proud to stand behind every pizza that goes out and we’re a successful business.
“It would be a real shame if a circumstance like this put us out of business.”
