Walkden takeaway boss who slammed ‘scumbag’ after £70 order is left astounded by reaction and says ‘the joke’s on you’

Simon, who runs the takeaway in Walkden, has been amazed by the response

The owner of a popular Walkden takeaway has hit out at fake customers who made a £70 order, but has been astounded by the response from the community.

Simon Greenhalgh only opened Fowl Play in Worsley Road North last year and it’s quickly become a hot spot for its smash burgers, chicken, pizzas and more.

Having previously served up dishes from a trailer outside The Stocks Hotel in Manchester Road, he was already a familiar face when, after years of working in marketing, he decided to return to the world of catering and open the 14-seater restaurant and takeaway.

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While things have been going well for the dad-of-four, he admits that ‘competition is fierce and costs are through the roof’, so you can imagine his dismay to cook up a £70 order taken over the phone, only to discover it was fake.

Blasting the ‘scumbag’ that made the ‘payment on delivery’ order last Thursday, Simon took to social media saying: “You’ve just made a small local business unprofitable for a night.”

He said the person who made the order – for pizzas, burgers, wings and other items – appeared to have a southern accent and seemed to have his wife and son in the background.

But when the delivery was made to the Little Hulton address that was given, it was an elderly lady living alone and the same thing had happened a number of times in the space of 24 hours.

Angry and frustrated, Simon took to Facebook to share details of the incident, but he wasn’t prepared for what happened next.

Not only did someone offer to cover the cost of the order and a tip, but the community rallied round with support and has since flooded the place with fresh orders.

“Whoever made the fake order, the joke’s on you!” said Simon. “The food went as freebies to other customers and two people offered to cover the costs plus a tip for the staff. That’s what happens when you mess with M28/38.”

On Friday night, he said the orders went ‘bonkers’ and they had so many, they had to turn some away. By Saturday they moved to strict time slots with one order every 15 minutes for delivery or collection.

“It’s been absolutely manic to the point we’ve had to turn people away,” Simon told the Manchester Evening News. “I just wanted the person that made the order to know it affected more than just the business owner.

“When I took the order it sounded legitimate. There was a man speaking on the phone and he sounded like he had my menu in front of him. He was talking to his what seemed to be his wife and son, so I had no reason to suspect it was a scam.”

The 43-year-old said the response has ‘restored my faith in the local community’, adding: “As it’s turned out the explosion in business has been incredible, which is down to the nice people of the area.

“The cost of the order and tips were covered and and there’s been lots of support backing our local business so it’s been great.”

Getting the business going over the last year hasn’t been easy, but Simon – whose own Fowl sauces and seasoning are a big hit with customers – is hoping he’s now reached a turning point. He’s now having to insist customers pay on order, which incurs extra processing fees.

“Covid really hurt the eating out culture for small local places, so delivery is a huge part of the business model,” he said. “Competition is fierce, cost are through the roof, the sad truth is you’re competing against other businesses that maybe don’t follow the rules and when things like this happen it cuts into already tight margins.

“It’s a shame that business models have to adapt, which make it appear that you don’t trust your customers because of a few bad apples. But I think what happened shows there are far more good people out there and it has been very encouraging to see the community pull together to support local businesses. I cannot think the local people enough got their support.”

Fowl Play is open from 5pm to 9.30pm Wednesday to Sunday, with lunches available from next week. For more details, follow Fowl Play on Facebook.