Award winning Grangemouth chip shop finally opens the doors of its new premises

La Gondola left its original premises – where it had been located for half-a-century – at the Kerse Lane end of Grangemouth’s La Porte Precinct earlier this month and moved to a larger location in the heard of the town centre.

Once the business had moved into the former Portonian Bakery and Team Rooms there was still a lot of work to do and it took longer than anticipated for the business to re-open.

However, the owners announced this week the popular chip shop will be opening from 10am on Thursday and trading until 10pm.

Samanda Cumming, who owns and runs La Gondola with husband John, said: “The range had to come out of the old shop and it has to be converted to be used in the new shop.

"We have had a few unexpected things crop up which have set us back.”

Samanda added the new look La Gondala had moved into the end half of the former tea room – which was also formerly a Mathesons outlet – and there was now room

for 12 to 14 customers to sit in and enjoy their fish suppers and other delicacies.

"It’s a lovely new premises,” she said. “We’ve been able to pick out the decor we wanted and the tiles – it’s going to be a lovely looking shop, much better than the old

one and we are really looking forward to opening up for the customers to see it.”

Samanda and John are now the third generation of family who have run La Gondola after her grandparents and parents steered the business through the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.

The new premises will have longer opening hours from 10am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and 4pm to 10pm on Sunday.

Now La Gondola’s former location is vacant, Falkirk Council will be able to move ahead with its long awaited plans to demolish the block which runs along Kerse Road

and includes the former CAB office.