Asha's boss calls for 'immediate' action after Birmingham restaurant closures
The boss of a popular Indian restaurant in Birmingham has called for urgent action after a wave of notable closures in the city - including Michelin-starred Purnell's. Asha's director Paul Bassi blamed excessive business rates, parking restrictions, and pedestrianisation for hurting the city's hospitality.
Opus, Ginger's, Zen Metro, Blaze, Florence and Jojolapa have also all closed for good in recent months - leading to the loss of dozens of jobs. That was followed by the collapse of Purnell's - which is a key part of the city's food scene.
“People want to enjoy a top quality night out but they can’t park near to city centre restaurants," said Mr Bassi.
Read more: Top Birmingham restaurant Purnell's closes after 17 years as chef says 'no one is bulletproof'
"And because nobody can park anywhere near the restaurants or offices in the city’s business quarters, they are forced to drive around to find multi-storey car parks that are full and overflowing." Mr Bassi said street parking should be "readily available".
He added that high business rates for properties were not necessarily reflected in the returns that could be made and were a major disincentive to investment. "Birmingham City Council's well-documented black hole means that there is no appetite to support initiatives like the city centre night-time economy. But changes to parking rules don’t cost money."
Mr Bassi said he feared that other city centre restaurants could be living on borrowed time unless urgent action was taken to encourage people to come into the centre. "We need positive action immediately to support the hospitality sector or there will be more closures and many more job losses."
Asha’s has won countless awards over the years. It was listed in the top 10 Indian restaurants in the UK earlier this month.