'It's the best of both worlds': Double cuisine takeaway to open in former Northampton fish and chip shop

A new takeaway serving two cuisines is set to open on the site of a former Northampton fish and chip shop.

The closed Alsace Par Fish Bar in Bordeaux Close, off Weggs Farm Road, New Duston, has been taken over by a local businessman.

Raff, who already owns an Indian restaurant in Kingsthorpe and another in Burton Latimer, acquired the business two months ago, alongside business partner for the venture, Hakim.

The takeaway will offer Indian and Bangladeshi food, as well as fast food such as burgers, kebabs and chicken and chips, all under one roof, with the intention of opening before the end of 2020.

Raff said: “We wanted to open an Indian takeaway but also to keep the fast food element too, so there are two takeaways all in one to serve the community of Duston.

“If the parents feel like having a curry and the kids feel like having chicken and chips, they can get it all from one place on one order. It's the best of both worlds.

“We did think about the site being a restaurant, but we had to make a business decision and now is just not the right time for restaurants.

“The best thing to do right now is to go in as a takeaway and offer fast food too.

“In two, three or five years time, as we don’t know how long this will last or what a mess the hospitality industry will be in, if we did open as a restaurant, it would only be Indian food as we would need the space.”

For Raff, Duston was the perfect place to expand his business venture, as he felt there was a hole in the food industry that he could fill, particularly on the site he has chosen, which is next door to a Tesco Express.

He added: “I was looking around areas of Northampton that are left to capitalise on and New Duston was one of them.

“There is nothing like this for that sort of area and the villages surrounding it and if there is it’s coming from further in towards town.

“There is also ample parking for when customers come to collect and they can order their takeaway, pop to Tesco for some shopping and then pick up their food.

“It can be really convenient and it’s not far to go to pick something either.”

The businessman, who also used to own restaurants in Barrack Road and Bridge Street, says it is extremely important for him and his staff to become part of the community.

As with his other restaurants, Raff intends to integrate with local people and complete charity work within the area.

“We really want to be part of the Duston community and build a great relationship with the people here,” he continued.

“That’s what I intend to do and it is what I have done in the areas surrounding my other restaurants.

“I truly believe in being part of the community and I am a people’s person. People buy from people."

The takeaway will look to offer delivery themselves to begin with, which Raff says is likely to provide up to six local jobs, before also looking into using popular delivery apps.

Raff has put out a call for the community to offer suggestions for the name of the business, which will be announced closer to the grand opening.

Although Raff has not officially confirmed the opening date for the takeaway, he hopes to have the work completed this month with the intention to open to customers, in a Covid-secure way at the end of November or the start of December.

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