Restaurant angered by street food outlet name

THE owner of a popular Indian restaurant in Cardiff is baffled that a competitor with practically the same name is opening a branch in the city.

Mowgli Street Food has announced that it will open its first Welsh restaurant in Cardiff in 2019.

Since launching in Liverpool four years ago to great acclaim, the eatery has since proven a hit with foodies in Manchester and Birmingham too.

However, the owner of Mowgli’s Indian Restaurant – which is a fixture on the Welsh capital’s foodie scene and this month opened its second restaurant in Whitchurch – is “shocked and disappointed” by the news because the name is “practically the same”.

Zaman Ahmed who opened his first multi-award winning independent on Crwys Road in 2009, claims he was approached by Mowgli owner Nisha Katona four years ago to ask for a favour.

He said: “She [Nisha] reached out to me before she opened Mowgli and asked if I would have an issue if she used practically the same name.

“I said that as long as she doesn’t expand to Cardiff that should be ok. To find out that she is has left me shocked and disappointed.

“She could have easily contacted me beforehand but she hasn’t – I only found out through a customer. It’s bizarre.” The 45 year old, who moved to Cardiff 22 years ago, chose Mowgli’s as a name because his son loved The Jungle Book as a child.

The restaurant specialises in low fat delicacies from India and Bangladesh.

“We have worked so hard over the past nine years to go to where we are and are so happy with the phenomenal feedback we have built up from customers – and we want to maintain it,” Zaman explained.

“We are focused on fine dining while Mowgli is about street food, so we don’t want it to tarnish our reputation.

“If an Indian restaurant opens next to us it is a hassle – but when one with the same name is next door it is ten times harder.

“People might think that Mowgli is a spin off of Mowgli’s, which is confusing for customers. Financially, it’s not an ideal situation.”

Nisha quit her high-flying job as a barrister to follow her passion for food, and now also writes food articles for the likes of The Daily Telegraph and The Independent.

In response, she said: “We are aware of Mowgli’s but we are Mowgli Street Food it is a completely different name and brand so there are no clashing worries.”

The popular independent restaurant chain serves authentic healthy, vegan and gluten free Indian street food.

It will open its first Cardiff branch on Church Street in the city centre.