Flame-grilled chicken restaurant set to open on site of former Northampton curry house

Originally from London, the fourth restaurant in the Five Lads Peri-Peri Chicken franchise is scheduled to open in Bridge Street by the beginning of March.

The family restaurant with a takeaway service will replace the Royal Bengal curry house, which closed in May 2017.

Kaisar Raja, the owner, told the Chronicle: "We are creating a brand that offers a healthy and reasonably priced option that people love.

"We're not a top-end restaurant and neither are we a budget take out. Our signature dish is flame grilled peri-peri chicken but we also offer lamb chops and burgers as a speciality.

"We will hopefully finish work and will be able to open by March 1, but we will share more information on social media closer to the day."

The franchise grew out of London when the 'five lads' who founded the company opened their first restaurant in 2014. They now have shops in Peterborough, Leyton and Goodmayes, and Northampton will be their fourth in the chain.

Mohammad Hosami, one of the original 'five lads', and a director of the upcoming Northampton restaurant, said: "We chose Northampton because, to be honest, I think in Northampton some people talk about the town centre being dead, but from my point of view the new university campus will bring people and business to the town.

"I believe the position of the restaurant will be a good opportunity for us and will appeal to families and students."

The three other Five Lads restaurants all hold a rating of four or five for hygiene on the Food Standards Agency website.