An iconic local restaurant is celebrating three quarters of a century since serving its first plates of fish n’ chips to the public.

Ches’s Fish & Chips first opened its doors on October 29, 1951, with a snack bar on Harvey Road in St. John’s.

A native of Newtown, Bonavista Bay, Ches Barbour started it all by steaming out of the Narrows each morning to catch enough fish to get him through the day, and return in time to serve his hungry dinner-time customers.

Alongside his wife Betty, that little snack bar soon grew with the flagship store on Freshwater Road opening in 1958. It remains in operation today.

Barbour passed away in 1991 at the age of 62 and the business that still bears his name is celebrating 75 years in operation.

The family-run business has since grown to three restaurants in St. John’s, one in Mount Pearl and one in Bay Roberts.