Binley Mega Chippy is a fish and chip shop located in Binley, Coventry, England. First opened in 2004, it became well-known in 2022 as a viral Internet meme on various social media platforms, including TikTok and Twitter.[1] The growth of this meme resulted in people from several countries around the world visiting the fish and chip shop.[2][3]
 Binley Mega Chippy in 2008 | |
| Company type | Fish and chip shop |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2004 in Binley, Coventry |
Area served | Binley, Coventry |
| Products | |
| Owner | Kamal Gandhi |
Number of employees | 7 |
Origins of the meme[edit]
The sudden growth of the Binley Mega Chippy meme was sparked by a TikTok video uploaded on 26 April 2022 that featured the fish and chip shop alongside several other British chip shops.[3] In one month it gained tens of thousands of views and over ten thousand likes.[4] Then on 18 May, another account belonging to a 20-year-old student began posting ironic videos about the chip shop and continued to do so for the rest of May. Later on 25 May, the same account uploaded a 10-second video of a jingle about the chip shop that became a renowned part of the meme and gained over a million views within weeks. By early June, the hashtag "#BinleyMegaChippy" had gained about 500 million views overall.[3]
Popularity[edit]
Following the meme's popularity, the chip shop saw visitors come from countries all over the world, including Australia, France, Portugal and the United States.[2][3] Among these visitors was then Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street.[5] On some days, queues into the chip shop would consist of dozens of people at a time.[6] Ironic memes were spread online that a "Morbius Meal" could be purchased at Binley Mega Chippy, referencing the movie Morbius released earlier that year that also became a meme, though this claim was false.[7] The chip shop's popularity began to die down in the middle of June.[5]
Staff reactions to popularity[edit]
In late May, employees at Binley Mega Chippy noticed that the chip shop was "busier than normal".[8] As the chip shop continued to grow in popularity, owner Kamal Gandhi said he was "very lucky" for the surge and thanked "prayers by his mother-in-law".[8] Another employee stated that the period of popularity was "pretty horrible" and that the employees "could not control the crowd".[9]
- ^ Kaur, Jaspreet (2022-05-27). "Locals left baffled after Binley Mega Chippy goes viral on TikTok". Coventry Live. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ a b Kaur, Jaspreet (2022-06-03). "Two Australian friends took 'expensive journey' to visit Binley Mega Chippy". Coventry Live. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ a b c d "Binley Mega Chippy: A (bizarre) timeline of events that took this Coventry chip shop to internet stardom". Sky News. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ "Binley Mega Chippy". Know Your Meme. 2022-05-26. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ a b Yedroudj, Latifa (2022-06-18). "Peace at last as TikTok Binley Mega Chippy crowds finally ease off". Coventry Live. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ Yedroudj, Latifa (2022-06-03). "Jubilee crowds flock to Binley Mega Chippy as images show huge queues". Coventry Live. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ "Binley Mega Chippy's £4.99 Morbius Meal is Getting Rave Reviews Despite It Not Even Existing". LADbible. 2022-06-01. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ a b Kaur, Jaspreet (2022-06-02). "Binley Mega Chippy owner says worldwide fame is thanks to mother-in-law". Coventry Live. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ Kaur, Jaspreet (2024-02-24). "Binley Mega Chippy staff lift lid on working during viral craze". Coventry Live. Retrieved 2024-03-15.