Hot chips are a menu staple for cafés around Australasia, but the deep-fried potato’s pre-packaged cousin is coming to steal the show.
Chips as a side. It’s a menu concept cafés around Australia use to complement dishes like burgers or toasted sandwiches, but what if the chips served weren’t French fries or wedges, but rather packaged potato chips?
Potato chips accompanying a main meal is less common than other, comparable markets like the United States and United Kingdom, however it holds significant potential for cafés that may not have the space or demand to operate a fryer.
Tony Tran runs 8oz Café in the inner-Sydney suburb of Surry Hills. Located just off Elizabeth Street, it’s in the centre of one of the city’s most active and fast-paced commercial areas.
In 2025, Tony made the shift to supply Smith’s potato chips at 8oz. First, it was a way to overcome the limitations of hot chips, but they have since developed into a menu staple.
“We offer loaded fries with a base of pulled beef or pulled pork that we would normally serve with hot chips,” says Tony. “But we found the chips were becoming too soggy, so we trialled using a corn chip and turning them into nachos. Then, we started using Smith’s potato chips last year.
“Now we also use them in our Mexican chicken burger, which has chicken with chipotle mayo, salsa, avocado, then chips with a bun on top.”
Other cafés are following suit, adopting other category-leading brands from Smith’s Snackfood such as Smith’s Crinkle, Thinly Cut, Doritos, and Twisties, as well as premium Red Rock Deli or better-for-you options like Sunbites Grain Waves, Smith’s Baked, and Simply. All of these are sealed fresh, easy-to-store and serve, making it simple for cafés to find the right fit for their menu and customers.
“We also sell them in combos with things like frappés on the side,” Tony adds. “Since it’s summer, and it’s really good for this time of year because it’s hot, and people might not want to eat something hot.”
Snacks like this also offer a point of difference in retail sales, according to Tony, who alongside offering potato chips as a menu item, also sells them in bags at the front of the store.
“I’ve been running this café for almost seven years now. It’s in an office-heavy part of the city, so most of our business is takeaway – both coffee and brunch. We wanted to find something else we could supply our customers who only had five minutes to come in and grab something, and the speed of having chips comes in handy,” he says.
“We don’t sell them overpriced, and they’re selling quite strongly.”
That grab-and-go ability and the way Smith’s chips can hit a customer’s cravings has also led to potential cost savings for 8oz.
“Times like school holidays are especially quiet for us, so we want to position the menu in a way where we don’t have to turn the deep fryer on just to make one or two bowls of French fries,” says Tony.
“That’s going to waste a lot of time, energy, and oil. Deep fryers can sometimes break as well, so it’s good to be able to offer something different if that happens.”
At the time of writing, 8oz is one of a rapidly growing handful of cafés utilising Smith’s chips as a retail proposition and dine-in menu ingredient.
He knows of other cafés in Sydney’s far north adopting a similar approach, including one near Mona Vale that doesn’t have an exhaust kitchen for deep frying.
“Instead of hot chips or sweet potato fries, they offer Smith’s chips as a way to complement the things they can make, like bacon and egg rolls.”
Matt Doherty, National Business Manager at PepsiCo that owns Smith’s Snackfood, says café owners are seeking ways to streamline kitchens, manage tighter labour, and simplify menus while still offering value to customers.
“Snacks meet that need because they can be a grab-and-go item, paired with a toastie, or used as an ingredient to liven up a menu item – like Doritos loaded nachos. Our snacks are highly portable, and pairing them with a coffee or cold drink is one of the simplest ways to offer great value and make the customer’s visit feel more complete,” he says.
“Our brands are category leaders, and that recognition gives cafés a clear advantage in driving impulse and add-on purchases. We also offer a wide portfolio, allowing operators to tailor the right mix for their menu.”
Matt says Smith’s Snackfood can offer point-of-sale options, including premium countertop displays to fridge clip strips and larger front-of-store units, so cafés can showcase snacks in a way that suits their space.
“Our field team also provides hands-on support, and our strong wholesaler network makes ordering simple, reliable, and consistent,” he says.
For more information, visit smiths-chips.com.au
This article appears in the February 2026 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
