Fish merchant philosophical about quake's impact

When you've been in business over 40 years you learn to take the rough with the smooth. So Kumea Fisheries owner Peter Halloumis is quite philosophical about the February quake.

"What can you do," he says with a shrug of his broad Greek Cypriot shoulders.

"Business was bad before the quake so I had to diversify then and if it gets worse I'll diversify again."

Halloumis was supplying fresh fish to the restaurant industry in Christchurch from his Waltham business but said he gradually let that side of his business slide because people were not paying their bills.

"I think this earthquake will be the death knell for lots of restaurants in Christchurch. For me business was actually worse before the quake."

As part of his diversification strategy to boost business towards the end of last year he introduced a butchery component to his fish shop supplying fresh locally sourced meat and sausages.

"People were asking for it so you have to supply what people want."

While he did lose some stock when the power was off for several days, he said everything in the chiller lasted well.

"The chillers are well insulated so even if the power is off for a while it takes a long time for the temperature to rise. The power wasn't really off long enough to make a difference."

Halloumis opened his shop several days after the quake once the water and power was back on and since then he's been doing a roaring trade in fish and chip takeaways, once again proving that successful businesses are the ones that meet their customer's needs.

"You have to provide what people want, and they want takeaways because it's the easiest thing at the moment when you have so much else to worry about. So that's what we are doing."

It's not all smooth sailing though. A fuse has blown in the electrical box in one of the small substations that provides three phase power to the street and Orion says it will be "several days" before they can get to it. That means power is off to certain parts of Kumea Fisheries including the chiller again.

"But what can you do," he says shaking salt over a large portion of fish and chips and handing them to a smiling customer.

"At least the fryer's are working."