Hot and crispy or fresh from the water? You don’t need to choose at Deer Lake’s Off the Hook Fish and Chips and Fish Market, where you’ll get the freshest catch on the west coast of Newfoundland – whether they cook it or you do! 

Off the Hook Fish & Chips was launched as a food truck by Andrea and Faren Pittman in Deer Lake in 2016. The couple had recently returned to their roots from Alberta and were looking for their opportunity.  

“(It is about) being able to have job security and creating something for your family to one day take over for themselves and stabilize their future,” Andrea says. “Also, having the flexibility to schedule work life and family time.” 

With the purchase of a food truck, the Pittmans began serving seasonal delicacies from the sea with fries and coleslaw at a reasonable price. From deep-fried cod and scallops to seafood chowder and fishcakes, the couple recognized they were getting requests for fresh fish too, and started to offer fresh fish, in season, as part of the restaurant business.  

A Kettle of Fish 

By 2024, demand had grown so much they decided to open a fish and chip takeaway restaurant as well as a fish market on Old Bonne Bay Road in Deer Lake.  

Today, customers can have a delicious dinner at Off the Hook Fish and Chips or choose their own lobsters, fillets, or shellfish at the Off the Hook Fish Market. 

“Currently operating a successful business means a lot to us,” Andrea says. “We love that it allows us to spend time with family and showing our kids what it means to work hard at something and you can succeed.”  

Off the Hook is the only business in Deer Lake offering fresh fish from local fishermen, which means a lot to the family. They promote local cooperation as much as possible.  

Chip off the Old Block 

When the Pittmans were choosing financing for the business they went local too, choosing CBDC Humber, both when they launched the food truck in 2017 and the restaurant and fish market in 2024. 

“CBDC has helped us right from the beginning from the SEA Program to small business loans,” Andrea says, explaining that CBDC provided a lot of support to the pair. From business training and counselling around bookkeeping and accounting to financing for purchasing their building. 

CBDCs throughout the province offer a variety of programs and there is no limit to the support you can request. When you’re ready to build your business, and the community you live in, get in touch with a business advisor at your local CBDC and talk about the options available to you!