AN ICE cream parlour and coffee shop in Nelson wants to open franchises in Pakistan and Dubai.

Choc Stop, on the corner of the Pendle Rise shopping centre, opened in Nelson last August.

Business has been so good that the owners are now looking at ways of taking the brand abroad.

Soheel Akhtar, who owns the business with his brothers Shehraz and Nohail, said: “We are trying to take the franchise abroad.

“It is definitely something we want to do.

“Any kind of English brand can be successful in Pakistan and Dubai. They love English brands, so we are looking to get investors involved to take it over there.

“In about six or seven weeks we’re going to go over to Pakistan to do a bit of groundwork and look at possible locations and how we could train staff up.”

Their profile in Pakistan received a boost yesterday with a visit from the country’s Human Rights Minister Nadia Gabol, a friend of Soheel’s.

He said: “We’ve been family friends since we were around 13 or 14. She grew up in Manchester and did a law degree before going to Pakistan.

“Nadia was very impressed with the set-up we have got and thinks she may know people who would be interested in investing in Pakistan.”

Soheel said business had been booming recently thanks to the spell of hot weather.

He said: “Business has been fantastic, and for us I think it is all down to our location.

“The business is going from strength to strength and we’ve had really good support from the people of Nelson.”