A new Mi Chaii has opened in the heart of a Blackburn shopping district.
The new £200,000 restaurant on Whalley Range can accommodate 38 diners inside and a further 21 outside on a specially built terrace.
The venture is the largest restaurant of its kind to open in recent years on the busy high street, which has more than 100 businesses of all sizes, including Asian fashion boutiques, jewellery shops and takeaways.
The Mi Chai franchise has stores in Bradford, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Birmingham with more planned in London.
The Blackburn launch has created 15 new jobs in full and part-time roles. The business is open throughout the day from 8am till 11.30pm. with later openings on weekends.
Director and manager of the family run Blackburn shop, Sonia Ahmed, said: “It is great to be opening in the town.
“The interior design is something we are really proud of as it takes both modern and traditional themes and blends them together.
“The Mi Chaii brand offers a range of signature street food snacks and drinks. The opening has gone well so far and we have a great response from people from across the town.”
Work on the building, which was formerly the Brookhouse Learning Centre began almost 18 months ago. Both floors of the section have been gutted and renovated, however only the ground floor is being used for the café.
The eye-catching wall art includes a traditional sewing machine which can be seen through the glass-fronted property.
The menu features among other dishes Deghi Ghosht (lamb), nachos with keema (mince meat) and masala chip butty, along with the cafe's own twist on the quintessentially British afternoon tea.
Sonia said: “There is a lot of variety in the food and it not just a tea shop. We do all day breakfast, brunch, afternoon tea and snacks.
“It is a little different to what is out there at the moment and we are located in a really busy spot.
“The parking to the rear and the outside seating has been some of the things customers have been really happy with.”
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