Changing the face of takeaway restaurants

ONE of the region's best-known bar owners is to launch a chain of restaurants that could change the face of the traditional Chinese takeaway.

Bob Senior revealed his plans as he prepared to open the Fat Buddha, a 220-seat restaurant in Durham city centre.

The managing director of Utopian Leisure claims the Government's relaxation in licensing laws, combined with a clampdown on "binge-drinking" has led to many big companies struggling, with some even going bust.

At a time of incredibly tough competition in the pub trade, Mr Senior believes his company will succeed by using high-quality food to attract customers.

Mr Senior said: "The past two years have been tough and they're going to get tougher.

"There are now more and more bars that open for much longer hours - but the average customer still only has the same amount of money to spend.

"Bars have to offer something more to attract customers or they are simply not going to survive.

"Apart from students, most people who go out through the week want to combine eating with drinking and the only way to sell drink through the week is to have a restaurant that draws people, who will then use the bar."

Mr Senior is also looking at opening Fat Buddha restaurants in Ponteland, Northumberland, as well as Newcastle, Harrogate, York and Leeds.

But perhaps the most unusual idea is to turn traditional Chinese takeaways in to Little Fat Buddhas, offering Chinese, Korean, Thai, Malaysian and Japanese food.

Mr Senior said: "It would change the traditional Chinese takeaway that people are used to. It may sound strange but we have done a lot of research and we're sure it can be a success.

"Our priority is to get the main restaurants up and running first.

"But, once they are open, we can turn our attention to the takeaways, which will be much more than the traditional Chinese offering. Customers will be able to buy Asian takeaways, as well as sit down inside and eat what we describe as Asian tapas."

The idea is a dramatic change in direction for a man who has spent three decades running bars and clubs across the country.

The 52-year-old, from East Boldon, South Tyneside, made his name by setting up Ultimate Leisure ten years ago.

He built the company up to an empire worth more than £100m, with 32 outlets across the North-East, as well as Yorkshire, the Midlands and Northern Ireland.

But, two years ago, he resigned after a row with major shareholders who, he said, ignored his warnings of a downturn in trade.

Within six months, he and two other former directors from Ultimate Leisure set up Utopian Leisure. The company is expected to turn over £15m this year and make a profit of about £3.5m.

Utopian owns nine bars across the North-East, Yorkshire, Lancashire and Northern Ireland.

In October, the company opened its first outlet in Durham, investing £1.2m in a 600-capacity nightclub called the Loveshack.

The club, which has a 2.30am licence, is located in the Walkergate Leisure development, overlooking the River Wear.

Mr Senior also chose to spend a further £1.3m at the Walkergate development on the Fat Buddha.

He said: "Asian food has been done before in London but we think this will be a new concept for our region."

The restaurant, which covers 9,000sq ft, is due to open next month. It will have a 1.30am drink licence.

Split on two levels, with a formal restaurant upstairs and a bar and informal dining area downstairs, it will be similar in size and design to the Fat Buddha which opened in Belfast city centre in January. The Belfast operation is already catering for 2,000 customers a week - each spending more than £20 a head.

To set up the restaurants, Bob has called in Eddie Fung, who he met while working in Belfast.

Mr Fung, 38, came to Britain from Hong Kong when he was just 17 and worked in kitchens, while studying at university.

After initially training as a civil engineer and planning to return to China, he changed track and opened a chain of Chinese restaurants and takeaways in Belfast.

In 2003, Mr Fung set up a Japanese fusion restaurant called Zen in Belfast city centre.

Only a year later, it was named as the Restaurant of the Year by the industry's Theme magazine.

Mr Senior said: "When I was at Ultimate, I always used to say it wasn't worth the hassle selling food. It's so hard to do consistently well.

"We had a token Tex-Mex restaurant called Jonny Ringo's - but that was all.

"The food can no longer be a token offer as it has been in the past. It has to be good enough to make the restaurant a destination in itself.

"I was never any good when it came to food, but now I have the perfect man for the job.

"Eddie opened a Japanese restaurant when it was claimed that 96 per cent of British people wouldn't eat Japanese food.

"Not only was it a fantastic success in business terms, but it also won top awards."

Mr Senior persuaded Mr Fung to join him as managing director of Utopian II, the restaurant side of the company.

Fat Buddha, in Belfast, has already been shortlisted for Theme magazine's Restaurant of the Year award this year.

While the pair have their work cut out in Durham, they are already thinking of their next targets.

Mr Senior said: "We are looking at sites in Ponteland, Newcastle, Harrogate, York and Leeds."

Mr Fung added: "We want to get them done one at a time and then start rolling them out across the country. The idea would be to buy up a number of takeaway sites and then convert them on a rolling programme.

"We would be looking at expanding at the rate of two restaurants and five takeaways each year.

"Hopefully, in three years' time, we will have about a dozen and, in five years, we will have about two dozen across the country.

"About 90 per cent of takeaways in this country see you walk in and see a large counter.

"That is a barrier between serving staff and the customer. In our Little Fat Buddha restaurants, you will be able to see part of the kitchen."

Mr Senior said: "We are certainly not abandoning selling drink but we know there are an awful lot of people who want to go out and enjoy a good meal during the week.

"The new opportunity is to sell drink accompanied by good food and to give customers a reason to stay in the restaurant.

"Most restaurants close about 11pm. We'll be offering music and other forms of entertainment to make sure customers can continue drinking after they've finished their meal.

"Most importantly, they'll be drinking in civilized surroundings.

"We believe there are going to be wholesale changes in the way people consume alcohol.

"In Newcastle alone, in the past five years, there have been 50 licences granted or adapted. There are now about 200 in the city centre alone and that has changed drinking behaviour in Newcastle.

"At the same time, the window of opportunity to drink in these premises no longer closes at 11pm - but goes through until 3am.

"More licences and longer hours have led to a diminishing trade, particularly during the week.

"At one time, badly-organised and ill-conceived ideas in the licensed trade could make money but now, in our business, only professionals who understand what customers want will survive."