16/09/2025
With a heavy heart and a mix of emotions, the time has come to finally say goodbye and close the book on a big chapter of my life as I handed over the keys for the shop today.
Many have wondered why I’ve made this decision when, on the surface, we’ve been very successful at what we do.
But behind the business and behind the page is just a guy — a father, a husband, a brother, a son.
What often gets overlooked are the sacrifices made by that guy’s family, and the quality of life given up after nearly 8 years in the takeaway game: from owning an award-winning chip shop in Portadown, to a burrito bar, to an award-winning pizza shop. Working most evenings, every weekend, and nearly every holiday on the calendar — all in the name of chasing financial security.
As much fun as it’s been, there comes a time when you have to decide what really matters. That realisation hit hardest in May, when I was away in Turkey getting married to my beautiful wife, my rock, Michelle. For the first time in 8 years I closed my shop and was truly present with my whole family, not worrying about a shop at home. And that’s when it became clear: what matters most is my family, my sanity, and my quality of life. Sadly, the financial rewards of this industry are no longer worth the sacrifice of time. With the rise of franchised takeaways, both local and international, and ever-increasing overheads squeezing margins to an all-time low, the odds are simply stacked against small independents like us. For me, it’s no longer worth the struggle to stay relevant.
What’s next?
In October I’ll be returning to my roots, reopening my sports massage and injury clinic in Portadown — The Recovery Room. I’ll also continue property investing under MB Property Dreams. If you know of any off-market fixer-uppers, get in touch — we pay a £500 finder’s fee for successful referrals. 😉
It’s been a blast, and I’m grateful to all my staff past and present for making it possible this long. A special thank you to the ride-or-die crew who carried us to the very end — thank you! Over the years you’ve been more than colleagues — you’ve been friends and family. I apologise for ruining all your future workplaces (let’s be honest, nothing will compare — you’ll never get a boss like me again, haha).
To all of our loyal customers — thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your support through the highs and lows, some of you following us from Portadown to Moira to Lisburn, is what kept us going for nearly a decade. Every order, every message, every bit of encouragement — and every time you waited patiently without a complaint — it meant more than you’ll ever know.
To the self-entitled Karens — whether it was a missing dip, no skin on your fries, a forgotten topping, chives on your dirty fries, or having to wait 10–15 minutes on a Saturday when we were clearly getting slammed… you won’t be missed at all! 🤣
A special thank you to Tove — my little sister, my number 2. None of this would have been possible without you. You did everything I took the credit for. Thank you for making my dream your dream for as long as you did. Now it’s your turn to chase your own!
As the new owners take over, I urge you all to support them. Be kind, be patient, be understanding. Things won’t always be perfect — they never are in this game — but don’t compare them to Bobby’s. Judge them for who they are and what they do. Support a man, not an empire.
We wish the new owners every success with their new venture!
Finally — I’ll be keeping this page. Who knows, maybe I’ll do a Tyson Fury and “come out of retirement” if the right opportunity comes along 🤣. In the meantime, I’ll use this page to share the new owner’s content to help him grow his following, along with updates from my other ventures.
Thanks for the memories, and thank you for being part of the journey.
Bobby Lappin
