Cost-of-living: 'I own a curry house and I could be forced to close soon - the industry needs help'

• Two curry restaurants are closing per week across the UK
• The hospitality industry is fearing closures due to financial struggles of both the customer and the business
• The curry industry is calling on the Government for support

A curry restaurant owner fears that his business could close in the next six months, following closures across the country.

Muhibur Rahman, who has owned Mother India in Boldmere, Birmingham, for almost 30 years, said the cost-of-living crisis was having a big impact on his business.

Rahman said: “People used to come in once a week, they now come in once a month. They have told me they don’t have the budget to come out.”

Struggling with a downturn of customers, Rahman fears that this could lead to him being forced to close his restaurant for good, like many other previously successful curry restaurants across the UK - with around two curry houses closing in the country a week.

The Asian Catering Federation has commented on the matter, and said that Government support has been “inadequate” for curry houses, with increasing business rates, rents and operational costs affecting the hospitality industry.

Due to restrictive immigration policies, curry restaurants across the country have also struggled with a lack of skilled chefs to employ within their restaurants. 

While some grants are available, The Asian Catering Federation said they were “insufficient” to address the curry restaurant industry’s current struggles.

“My business has gone down really badly”, Rahman explained, while also highlighting that other businesses are being affected, including Chinese, Italian, and other global cuisine restaurants and takeaways. 

Rahman continued: “People haven’t got the money.”

During the current General Election period, all major political parties have pledged their support for small businesses. However, many business owners have concerns whether their support will be enough to survive in the current economic climate.

“What we need from the Government is to get the VAT down to 5%,” Rahman explained. 

“We need to get started again with the help from the Government.”

Members of the public were asked when the last time they went for a curry was, with varied responses. 

While some people visited a curry house recently, for others it had been a couple of months or as long as 10 years. 

One member of the public commented that the wide choice of restaurants available across the UK could be the reason as to why curry houses are seeing a decline in popularity, while another spoke of the cost of living crisis. 

They said: “People are a bit skint at the moment, aren’t they? So, maybe they are doing it from home. It’s the same with pubs, all the pubs are closing.”

Another member of the public spoke of the rise of social media influencers, and how working with them can help to boost a businesses’ popularity and lead to more people choosing a specific restaurant to dine in.

Has Britain fallen out of love with curry? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below 👇