Mike Fersner didn’t plan on opening a restaurant. He says his destiny called him to it, and he just followed through. Now he and his partner Eddie Utley are working to put the finishing touches on their new fish and chips spot. YaYa Fish Fry will open in March at 289 Frantz Rd. in Stroudsburg.
“Sometimes God sends you where you belong, and I guess he directed me to this. I wasn’t looking for that. I wasn’t really focused on opening a restaurant, but this is where my destiny is,” Fersner told What Now Philadelphia. “It was a blessing. I love cooking. This is where I belong and what I’m supposed to be doing.”
Fersner, who is leaving the pharmaceutical industry to run his restaurant full-time, met Utley after hiring him to do carpentry work on his house. The two got to talking about how Utley always wanted to own a restaurant and Fersner, who had previous experience in the restaurant business, loves cooking. So, when Fersner heard about some restaurant equipment for sale, something intuitively told him he had to go check it out. When Fersner later stumbled across a location that would be perfect for a restaurant, he started putting all the pieces together. Fersner asked Utley to be his partner and aggressively pursued the property for their restaurant named after Fersner’s grandmother’s nickname “YaYa,” a nickname that will also be shared with his soon-to-be-born granddaughter.
The quick-service restaurant will open in a 1,140 sq. ft. space, formerly inhabited by Food and Wing, next to Advance Auto. YaYa Fish Fry will serve all your favorite Southern fish fry dishes like codfish, catfish, flounder, red snapper, and more. You’ll also find french fry and steam vegetable sides, seafood boil options with crab legs or lobster tails, and desserts like banana pudding. There will be chicken wing options in buffalo and other flavors Fersner will have the community decide on through social media polls. Everything at YaYa Fish Fry will be made fresh to order. There will be a few tables for seating, and delivery will be available through HungryWeDeliver.net. Discounts will be offered to emergency services workers and groups like local hospital workers and visitors at nearby hotels.
“I’m looking forward to this new adventure in my life. I’m looking forward to being here for the long haul,” Fersner said. “I hope people will give us a chance and come and see the best fish and chips in the Poconos area.”
