Locals We LOVE
Peter's Fish Market
Ask any local where to find the best fish and chips on the Gold Coast and the answer comes in fast, without hesitation and its @petersfishmarketgc.
If you've holidayed at Main Beach, chances are you've already stood in that queue, unwrapped that steaming hot paper parcel, and eaten it somewhere by the water without really planning to. It's less a restaurant recommendation than a rite of passage. Locals have grown up on it and if visitors are lucky enough they get let in on the secret.
Behind the queue, and behind every one of those stories, are the Peter’s family.
There's a particular kind of person who can walk into a struggling business and simply see it differently to everyone else, Peter Peters is one of them.
Long before his name was painted across the side of the iconic Defender parked outside his Main Beach institution (epic wheels I might add) Pete was a 14 year old in Sydney and he landed a job shucking oysters in a local restaurant. It was the kind of job that teaches patience, precision, and respect for good produce. Lessons that would matter far more than he could have known at the time.
His path to Main Beach wasn't a straight one. For a stretch, he ran his own hi fi store, then in 1992 came the tap on the shoulder that changed everything: a fish and chip shop up in Main Beach, QLD that wasn't trading well, and needed someone who understood how to turn it around.
Peter and his wife Wendy (with 10 year old son Andy in tow) said yes & Peter's Fish Market has been part of the fabric of Main Beach ever since.
What sets Peter apart isn't just that he saved a struggling shop, it’s that he has never left it.
More than three decades on at aged 78 he still works seven days a week. Not because he has to, but because that's who he is.
Wander past on any given day and you'll find him and his friendly team of 30 staff out the front, caps on, laughing with regulars who've been coming in since the doors reopened in the '90s.
It's the kind of easy, familiar exchange that can't be manufactured, only earned over years of showing up. They even had iconic TV ads back in the day with a character created of Peter, I will put on my stories for some 90s nostalgia.
That cheekiness and consistent service is exactly why locals love this place. The fish is always fresh, the sashimi is restaurant grade, and there is a range of sauces that are still made by hand.
At the heart of everything Peter's Fish Market does is family. His son Andy and wife Casey also work in the business, learning the trade the way Peter once did. It's the kind of generational handover that so many local institutions lose along the way, and I just love that Peter's has held onto it.
That family foundation is now driving the next evolution, and after seeing their renders and plans, WOW they're going big.
Later this year (fingers and toes are crossed for Xmas ) Peter's will open a much larger 240 seat restaurant and market.
It's a serious leap from the humble shop Peter took over in 1992, but one built on exactly the same values: fresh seafood and a genuine welcome.
Spend five minutes in store and it's clear this is more than just your average takeaway.
The display cases are stacked with sashimi grade cuts and locally caught fish, sourced with care from a wide range of local and interstate suppliers
My personal highlight was their merch.
With a rainbow of caps, tees, tote bags and drink bottles that have become their own local badge of honour( I got some serious brownie points with my kids when I got home).
Keep an eye out and you'll spot Peter's merch on the street and at the beach as its beautiful quality.
It's a small detail, but it says a lot about a business that's thought about every part of their customer experience.
Their merchandise stays true to the local spirit, designed and made in partnership with a local graphic designer and clothing maker, keeping the support close to home in every sense @sodapopagency @ripplepprinthouse
It was such an honour shooting these two legends. On arrival, Peter and Andy were already waiting out front with the family dog Louie and wife Wendy in tow, cheeky banter flying before the camera was even out of the bag.
One thing that stayed with me was that you could feel the mutual respect between them in every exchange, a father and son who clearly enjoy the work as much as each other's company, and a family who do it all together.
Listening to Andy chat through their plans on how they will carry the business forward into an even bigger future, alongside the man who built it, Peter Peters' story is a reminder of what makes a local business a local institution. Not just longevity, but heart.
Peter's Fish Market isn't just where locals go for fresh fish and chips. It's where a family has spent over 30 years showing up, every single day, for their community.
When asked how the GC community can support them, the answer was simple.
“With so much development in the main beach area and along the marina with new hotels & restaurants, this section of Main Beach may look closed.
Please know that we are very much still open for business”.
Peter's Fish Market
130 SeaWorld Drive, Main Beach
Open daily, 9am to 7pm
