One of Bradford’s most successful Indian restaurant groups is spicing up its portfolio by opening an outlet offering Chinese halal cuisine in the city. The company was advised by law firm Gordons.
Akbars, founded by successful entrepreneur Shabir Hussain in 1995 and now boasting 11 restaurants across the north of England and Scotland, will open its new venture at 122-124 Leeds Road in late autumn.
The new two-storey site, named Akbars Oriental, is just yards from the organisation’s original restaurant, which is still open, the group’s headquarters and its cafe, all of which are also in Leeds Road. The new site was an Indian restaurant owned by another organisation.
“We’re aware many people in Bradford like the unique Akbars experience and are interested in enjoying fine Chinese food,” said Shabir Hussain. “We’re therefore making both available to them, without customers bound by Islamic dietary laws having to worry about breaking the rules.”
Simon Mydlowski, a commercial property solicitor at Gordons, advised Akbars on key aspects of its new venture, including the tenancy agreement, acquiring the building’s existing fixtures and fittings, and liaising with surveyors.
The Akbars Group now also has restaurants in Leeds’ Eastgate and Greek Street, plus others in Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Sheffield and York.
About Shabir Hussain
Few people embody the spirit of brilliant entrepreneurship coupled with achieving the highest standards in modern South Asian cuisine better than Shabir Hussain, the founder of the Akbars chain of restaurants.
From humble beginnings, starting with just a small 28 seat restaurant in the heart of Bradford City and through his sheer passion and determination, his culinary vision has always been to serve the very best in authentic South Asian food. His ethos has always been “anything is possible – it’s just a case of how bad you want it”
With over 20 years of experience, Shabir is today the proud Chief Executive of over 10 restaurants employing more than 400 staff. Using his own creative flair, each of the Akbar’s restaurants is personally designed by Shabir to create a stylish inviting atmosphere and to invoke the warmth and vibrancy of the exquisite South Asian food on offer.
Despite the rigors of overseeing his restaurants and whilst still remaining as the Executive Chef, Shabir never misses an opportunity to return to his homeland to search for new and exciting recipes and spices from all corners of the country, thus inspiring his beautifully spiced cuisine creating a luscious fusion of east and west.
Shabir’s charismatic and flamboyant personality and insatiable appetite for identifying the latest trends has meant that Akbars is continuously evolving to deliver the very best to its customers.
As the popularity of Akbars continues to go from strength to strength and whilst winning numerous coveted accolades along the way for his cuisine, Shabir’s long term vision is to take Akbars city to city across the UK.
On a personal level, Shabir is passionate about life and living every minute to the fullest. His hands-on approach means that Shabir strongly believes in giving back to the community.
Not forgetting his roots, he works tirelessly to support the local communities particularly young people who are inspired by his relentless hardwork and dedication in turning his dream into reality from a very young age. Today he is still a much loved role model and respected businessman to many.
