Indian restaurant group Dishoom has been forced to delay the full launch of its new venue in Birmingham city centre as the country goes into coronavirus lockdown.
Dishoom, which serves food inspired by the Irani cafés of Bombay, announced in December it had agreed a deal to take 7,606 sq ft of ground floor space at One Chamberlain Square at the £700 million Paradise development.
The new restaurant, which is the group’s eighth in the country, will have menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner and a cocktail bar.
It was due to open officially on April 1 following a soft launch period but that has now been put back.
Its owners have not indicated when they think the venue will launch fully.
A statement from the company said: "In light of the escalating public health crisis, which is affecting everyone’s lives more acutely by the day, we feel this is the right thing to do.
"As such, the doors to our most-cherished new home will remain closed to diners for the time being.
"Our absolutely first-class team in Birmingham has been working tirelessly to ready themselves for the opening and we owe them our immense gratitude for their truly big-hearted approach during this time of great uncertainty.
"Over the past weeks and days, we have been considering all our options carefully, responding as best we can to this rapidly changing situation.
"This is, by no means, the way we envisaged our opening in Birmingham.
"We built our restaurants on a belief they would become spaces where people from all walks of life could come and break bread together.
"To close our doors, even temporarily, is heart breaking."
