Chips hit the fan in Cranbourne kebab war

A SUBURBAN souvlaki spat has fired up with a kebab shop owner now vowing to steal his rival's sales by selling chips again.

A SUBURBAN souvlaki spat has fired up with a kebab shop owner at the centre of the controversy now vowing to steal his rival's sales by selling chips.

Wot a Kebab is planning to start selling fish and chips after he accused his neighbour, George's Fish and Chips, of breaking a "goodwill agreement" that prevented it selling kebabs.

In a tit-for-tat war of food semantics - souvlaki or a kebab - the two takeaway shops will go head-to-head in the fast-food feud.
Wot a Kebab's Ryan Barrington said it was game on unless his competitors at Cranbourne North's The Avenue stopped selling souvlakis.

But Alex Sleiman, who runs George's Fish and Chips, said the agreement was not breached because kebabs and souvlakis were not same thing.

Mr Barrington disagreed and bit back in the dispute.

Ryan Barrington from WotAKebab.

"If he is allowed to sell kebabs, we should be allowed to do the same and sell fish and chips," he said.

"If we can do that we are fine.

"If they don't stop doing souvlakis, I am putting my fish and chips back on."

Mr Sleiman yesterday told the Herald Sun his souvlakis would remain part of the menu because the food item was different to kebabs - from the meat to the sauce used.

"The souvos are remaining. As far as I'm concerned, they are not going anywhere," he said.

"If he goes full-blown fish and chips, George's will be a kebab shop in the next two weeks. I will have two rotisseries up and it will be on."

Mr Barrington said when the centre had opened, the two shops decided to "support each other" because there were only four food shops in the plaza and they wanted to offer customers choice without stealing each other's business.

Alex Sleiman from Georges Fish and Chips.

Mr Barrington said he and his brother owned Wot a Kebab stores throughout Victoria and they all had fish and chips on the menu.

He said they had made a deal to stop selling chips and Mr Sleiman to not dish up souvlakis, or kebabs, because they were the main focus of their stores.

Mr Barrington and Mr Sleiman are to hold talks with centre management on Friday in a bid to have the food spat wrapped up.

Mr Sleiman and Mr Barrington said they wanted to reach an amicable result and keep the food fight clean.

Leasing agent Gross Waddell Pty Ltd representative, Samantha Murphy, said nobody was told to remove fish and chips or souvlakis from the menu.

"I don't know why there is that belief (between the two tenants)," she said.

"They have not been asked to remove any items from their menu."

Mr Sleiman has asked what was a fish and chip shop without souvlakis?

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