Why value-led decision-making continues to fuel FISHBOWL    

QSR Media interviewed one of its founders to find out what changed after a year.

When FISHBOWL’s founders first established their business, they were determined to create an ecosystem of healthy and cheap fast food without compromising quality or sustainable practices.

The gap they identified when they initially started was there were no places to pick up a healthy meal that would cost under $15 to $20.

After one year, QSR Media caught up to Nicolas Pestalozzi, co-founder of FISHBOWL and talked about how they have faired with providing customers with healthy, premium alternatives whilst keeping their prices affordable.

QSR Media: Since you last talked to us you had 29 locations and your goal for that year was to open a store every month. How has it been so far?

Nic: We now have 34 locations and are on track to open 15 new restaurants in 2023. We believe 15 a year is our healthy rate of growth. 

You mentioned last time that new stores will have clear lines for in-store and delivery points whilst online ordering will get an upgrade. Could you tell us what are the updates on this?

We are trying to make the experience optimal for all, delivery drivers deserve a seamless pick-up, online customers need reduced friction and in-house customers need to be given the full FISHBOWL experience. In order for these three avenues to work seamlessly, we’ve been improving the placement and visibility of all pick-up shelves so they’re easy for our staff to access in the production line, and similarly easy for customers and riders to access as they enter the store without taking anything away from the in-house customer experience. 

What are some of your challenges in sourcing sustainable ingredients? How have you addressed this challenge?

The higher price associated with more sustainable ingredients is a reality and something that will continue to come down as demand for these products increases. In the case of a major product change such as our salmon supply, we made the call despite the higher price tag. 

Could you tell us the thinking about your switch to Ocean-farmed King Salmon, from Big Glory Bay, New Zealand?

We’re currently serving Ora King Salmon from New Zealand. We believe in giving everyone the chance to access premium ingredients, being premium not only includes fresh and healthy but also refers to producers who believe in sustainable practices. This is how we landed on King Salmon from New Zealand, the sustainability standards are extremely strict in New Zealand and the ocean farms have far less impact on their surrounding environment. The climate is also perfectly suited to the species, so the product is far superior in terms of flavour. 

This move cost FISHBOWL $1m in the first year. How did you justify this cost?

Making decisions based on what’s right and what we believe in, allows us to be proud of the brand we’re building. The financial cost is priceless in my opinion, it’s about standing for something and constantly making decisions to improve the product in all respects. This value-led decision-making process has been in our DNA since we opened our first store in 2016, and it has helped us garner loyalty and trust. 

Aside from the cost, are there any challenges that presented themselves during the switch? How did you deal with these challenges?

Ora King Salmon has a different flavour profile, we needed to adjust certain recipes, processes, and methods in order to use the new line of salmon. 

How did this impact customer perceptions of FISHBOWL, and has it led to an increase in customer loyalty or sales?

Based on our NPS data, customer perception has improved from what was already a high score. Sustainability and transparency are two key callouts that customers continue to mention as reasons they love and are loyal to FISHBOWL. Whilst most of the market, may not be aware of the differences between King Salmon and Atlantic salmon, one thing they know and can trust, is the fact that FISHBOWL is always choosing the best product for the planet, staff and customers. 

In our last interview, one of the foundations of FISHBOWL was to help Australians have a choice of a healthy meal that was under $20. How are you keeping prices under $20 despite inflation? 

By working in a long-term capacity with our suppliers and focusing closely on what we can control internally, such as our production costs, training and new menu items. We’re constantly finding ways to deliver more value to our customers. For example, our recent CHILLI CHICKEN bowl just launched and is already our second most popular menu item. The bowl includes three new ingredients and is packed with protein for only $13.90. 

What is FISHBOWL’s next goal?

To build a global brand and bring our team and customers along for the journey.