As the tariff war heats up, Atlantic Canadian consumers and B2B buyers are looking for local alternatives to international suppliers. Elbows up!

In 1951, Ches Barbour—fresh off his boat, fish in hand—opened a humble fish and chips shop in St. John’s, Newfoundland. With his wife Betty by his side, he served what he caught: fresh, simple, perfect. The doors opened at dinnertime and stayed that way late into the night.

Ches’s Fish and Chips—which is excited to celebrate is 75th anniversary next year—is still family-run, still rooted in tradition, and still proudly Atlantic Canadian. “We’ve been here for a long, long time,” says Kathy Barbour, Ches’s daughter and the company’s co-owner. “We’re very dedicated to the community. We do the best we can to find the perfect product.”

The company now operates five locations—three in St. John’s, one in Mount Pearl, and one in Bay Roberts, which is undergoing renovations after a fire. “We’ve got four and a half open right now,” Barbour says. “We’re pulling that one together.”

The flagship location on Freshwater Road has been a fixture since 1958. “I grew up over that restaurant,” Barbour says. Her office is still upstairs. The business has grown, but the family spirit never left.

What sets Ches’s apart isn’t just the food—it’s the philosophy. “Most of our companies that we deal with are in Atlantic Canada,” she says. “There’s a lot of goodwill.” Staff stay for decades. Customers become family. So do their kids.

“We treat our staff like family, our customers like friends,” says Barbour. “And in Newfoundland, fish isn’t just food—it’s a staple. It deserves the best treatment possible.”

After 75 years, the recipe remains the same: local, loyal and unmistakably Newfoundland.