New national & international restaurant openings for 2023

It will be a challenging year for the UK’s restaurant industry with the ongoing cost-of-living crisis making 2023 a matter of survival for some.

Amidst the turmoil and uncertainty however, new restaurants will of course be introduced with some well-established brands already having announced their big plans for the year.

While international chain Costa Coffee made its Pakistan debut in Lahore earlier this month, Halal-friendly Fireaway pizza is reportedly in talks to make its big Middle East debut.

Founded in 2017, owner of “the UK’s fastest-growing pizza takeaway chain” Mario Aleppo reportedly told Propel that Fireaway is “speaking to a few potential master franchisees”.

With 126 sites in the UK and one each in Ireland and Holland, Fireaway told Propel that master franchisees have already been signed up in India, Canada, Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand and France.

US fried chicken brand Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, which offers a fully Halal food menu, will be joining the emerging drive-thru concept with an opening in Glasgow next year.

Having secured a site at the Barrhead Retail Park, further drive-thrus have reportedly been applied for at the Riverside Retail Park in Nottingham; the Boldon Leisure Park in Tyneside; Woodbury Park, near Bere Regis; and Sixfields, Northampton.

The highly accomplished restaurateur and entrepreneur, Sorowar Khan, will be launching a contemporary Pan-Indian restaurant on Ash Avenue in the heart of Elephant Park.

Set to open “in early 2023”, the 150-cover Kachori will offer both indoor and outdoor seating, which will open out onto the destination’s two-acre park.

Project manager, Humayun Hussain, confirmed with FtLion that while it is early days, with the menu still being worked on “a large percentage will indeed be Halal”.

Halal at The O2’s Entertainment District in 2023

Luxury Halal dessert and gourmet burger concept Haute Dolci is set to open its third London store, and 16th overall, in January at The O2’s Entertainment District.

Further restaurants in London’s Ealing, Watford, Liverpool, Edinburgh are also set to open in 2023 with a second in Birmingham and Manchester soon.

Haute Dolci will also be joined at The O2 by the debut of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern concept Soukra who’ve informed FtLion: “We will be serving Halal food at Soukra. No alcohol will be served, but we have unique mocktails, drinks and coffee.”

Founded by Hamdi Bensalem and Sanj Nandhe, the 300-cover restaurant will have mezzanine and garden spaces, and will serve dishes like shakshuka, lamb kafta and Andalusian lamb tajine.

Other Halal-friendly destination spots at the ‘Lower Level’ of The O2 include Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Cabana, as well as German Doner Kebab, which is fully Halal.