Indian restaurant is on the up as extension plans get go-ahead
A POPULAR Indian restaurant is to be extended.
Pabna, in Leek, has secured planning permission to build a first-floor extension at the back of its premises.
The work will increase the Ashbourne Road restaurant’s seating capacity from 80 to 130 covers.
As well as providing an overflow from the downstairs seating area, the extension will allow private functions to be held at the venue.
Restaurant manager Mohammed Ali, who works alongside his father and three brothers in the business, said the extension would allow Pabna to cope with demand.
He said: “We definitely need the extra space. At weekends we are guaranteed to be fully-booked and sometimes in the week as well. It means we have to turn away people who have not made a booking.
“We put in the application last year, before coronavirus, and we did not know if we would get it so we are very happy.
“We are going to be putting in new menus and new dishes too. I think since Covid, people want different things.”
The family is hoping the extension will be complete by August. In the meantime they are looking forward to reopening on May 17, when lockdown restrictions are expected to ease. Mohammed said: “We are getting booked up already when we reopen and we are really excited. We have got all the safety measures in place.
“We have been busy doing takeaways during lockdown but we have missed the face-to-face interaction with our customers – you can’t beat that. We can’t thank them enough – they have kept us going.”
News that the planning application was approved by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has been welcomed by customers. Georgia Hamilton-smith has continued to be a Pabna customer since moving to Stoke. She said: “I think it’s great that Pabna are extending the premises. I have been enjoying their food since they opened in Leek and we regularly have a takeaway.
“They are a great asset to the town and have shown a fantastic community spirit during the pandemic by offering food to anyone in need with no questions asked.”