Hungry patrons in search of authentic British fare have a new option in Spokane's West Central neighborhood, where owners Mark Twigg and his wife Maureen Torphy are wrapping up the soft opening of Twiggy's Fish & Chips LLC.

The restaurant, located at 1505 N. Ash, currently operates from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday while the owners refine their operations schedule and train employees. Their goal is to expand with an evening service, eventually operating from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, says Twigg, a native of Manchester, England.

"We're trying to expand into some evening hours," Twigg says. "We currently only have enough storage and prep space to keep up with our lunch-hour orders. We are working on expanding the hours as we transition into being fully open."

The 900-square-foot restaurant specializes in traditional fish and chips from northern England, a style Twigg contends has been missing from Spokane since the couple relocated to the city over three years ago. The restaurant is intentionally recreating the flavors he grew up with, including by serving gravy alongside the chips, a staple in northern England that is less common in the southern part of his home country, Twigg explains.

"We just wanted to give it that feel of a chip shop rather than any kind of novelty," he says. "We just wanted to do good fish and chips with the basics."

Preparing fresh ingredients ahead of time requires significantly more labor than initially expected, he says. Two full-time and two part-time employees work at the restaurant along with the husband-wife ownership team, he adds.

"We do all of our potatoes, we do all of our fish the night before," he says. "It's the prep that's taking the most time and effort."

The couple also balances their time at the new eatery with time spent raising their two young sons. Torphy opens while Twigg provides childcare and in the afternoon, Twigg heads to the restaurant to close, clean up, and prepare for the next day.

Twigg's focus on authenticity and freshness also extends to the restaurant's supply chain. Rather than purchasing seafood through traditional distributors, he sources Pacific cod directly from fishermen operating in Alaska.

"I had time to get in touch with a few fishermen in Alaska while the renovations were ongoing," Twigg says. "We actually buy our fish direct from the guys that go out on the boat."

The lunch service currently requires an estimated 350 pounds of Pacific cod each week. Additional demand is expected once dinner service begins.

Other ingredients, such as potatoes grown in Washington and Idaho, complement the seafood, and highlight a simple menu centered on fresh ingredients, traditional preparation methods, and hearty portions.

"The meal is supposed to be too big for you," he says of the restaurant's generous portions. "That's how I remember it as a kid."

Patrons that don't eat fish can find a plate of sausage and chips or chicken and chips. Side dish options include smashed peas and baked beans.

Twigg and Torphy opened Twiggy's Fish & Chips in June after investing over $60,000 and spending 18 months navigating renovation plans and the permitting process, he says.

"We were talking about going out for fish and chips, and nowhere was really doing fish and chips the way we would have it," Twigg says of the idea to open a restaurant. "We started joking that somebody should open one, and before we knew it, we thought, 'Let's give it a go.'"

The permitting and construction process stretched longer than anticipated, delaying the expected opening by several months, Twigg explains.

"We were aiming for March, then March became April, and April became June," he says.

Transforming the former commercial space into a restaurant has required many upgrades. The largest expense was for the installation of a commercial ventilation hood with fire suppression and makeup air systems to accommodate the restaurant's fryers. Additional work included the installation of grease traps and other code-required improvements. 

The couple is leasing the building, and Twigg says the property owners have been supportive throughout the tenant improvement process.

"The landlords have been fantastic all the way through," he says. "It felt like everybody was part of the team trying to get us open."

Since it's soft launch, the restaurant has experienced strong demand, Twigg says. Looking ahead, the long-term vision is to establish the eatery as a dependable neighborhood restaurant known for authenticity.

"Our goal from the start has just been to do our own thing and work for ourselves," Twigg says. "We just want to be the place people can rely on for good fish and chips."

The restaurant currently has the capacity to seat 14 guests, and many customers are taking their meals to nearby A.M. Cannon Park or are ordering food to go, he adds.