The eatery at the former Reidy’s music store on Nab Lane was originally scheduled to open before Christmas 2021
Blackburn’s long-awaited Istanbul Restaurant and Bar is back on the town centre menu.
The Turkish eatery in the premises of the former Reidy’s music store on Nab Lane was originally scheduled to open before Christmas 2021. Despite gaining planning permission for 220 diners and 55 tables, progress on the project stalled.
Now the signs for the new restaurant are in place and fitting out the interior has started. The progress towards finally opening has been welcomed by Blackburn with Darwen Council’s growth boss Cllr Quesir Mahmood as a further boost to Blackburn’s £50million new leisure, restaurant and cultural quarter based round Blakey Moor Townscape Heritage Project and Northgate Conservation Area.
In the meantime another Turkish restaurant Sofra Turkish Cuisine has opened nearby in the former Jubilee Pub. The firm behind the fast-growing Istanbul chain, the Bury-based Atrium Group, has confirmed work towards opening the Blackburn restaurant is back under way but has so far not revealed any further details of timescale for the project near Blackburn College,the town’s sports and leisure centre and the new Reel Cinema.
The chain already has outlets in Manchester, Oldham, Derby and Nottingham. The approved plans for the Blackburn restaurant show it will have 33 tables for four diners in a ground-floor dining area next to a bar with seven tables for two and 15 bar stools.
There will be a mezzanine floor with another 22 tables for four customers each. It plans to operate from 11am to 11pm seven days a week.
Cllr Mahmood said: “It’s fantastic to see the signage in place for the new Istanbul Restaurant and the on-going works inside. We’re looking forward to it opening soon.