By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
A CRANBOURNE North fish and chip shop caught in the middle of a media feeding frenzy last week won’t be forced to wipe souvlakis off its menu.
Controversy and Facebook vitriol hit fever pitch last week after reports that Wot A Kebab and George’s Fish and Chips in The Avenue shopping centre were at war over whether the latter should be able to sell souvlakis.
Talk of the souvlaki spat fired up after rumours that centre management had approached Alex and Ali Sleiman, from George’s Fish and Chips, and requested they no longer sell souvlakis since there was a kebab store next door.
But following a meeting with the shop owners on Friday, centre management denied ever asking either store to take items off their respective menus.
Leasing agent Gross Waddell Pty Ltd representative, Samantha Murphy, who attended the Friday meeting, said centre management had reassured the store owners they wouldn’t have to change their current menus.
“They had reached an agreement before I got there (to the meeting). They’d agreed amicably to sell their existing menus with no changes to them,” she said.
“We (centre management) never requested that any changes be made to the menus. We spoke to them about their approved menus and asked for a copy of them.”
The development comes after Ryan and Shane Barrington, owners of Wot a Kebab, said last week they had been portrayed as “bullies” and that there was no dispute between them and the Sleiman brothers from George’s Fish and Chips.
Centre management approved the Sleiman brothers’ menu before they opened their store three weeks ago, of which souvlakis were a major component.The brothers concur there is no feud between the shops.
“We don’t have a problem with each other,” Alex Sleiman said.
“We eat from the boys (Wot a Kebab) and the boys eat from us. We’re neighbours.”
Ryan, who also had the Wot a Kebab menu approved when it opened three months ago, said centre management had never tried to dictate the stores.
“There was a miscommunication when Alex opened,” he said.
“The whole thing was blown out of proportion.”
Ryan also said the media coverage of the supposed spat had cost Wot a Kebab business but it was now improving.
“We took a hit during last week but over the weekend it came back to sort of normal,” he said.
Ms Murphy said there were no reports of any declining trade in the shopping centre.
