A new Middle Eastern restaurant in south Bristol is finally set to open soon after unexpected delays,
Yafo, which is replacing Shake Express on North Street, was supposed to open in March this year.
But restaurant owner Gal Almoznino, who also runs the Sandwi coffee shop chain, says that unforeseen problems have meant he and his two business partners have not been able to welcome their first customers yet.
READ MORE: New Middle Eastern restaurant to open on Bristol's North Street
Mr Almoznino said that Covid has caused most of the problems while they have been renovating the venue, as builders have often called in sick or been forced to isolate.
Their alcohol licence from the council also took longer than they expected to come through.
But they are now making progress and hope to be able to open in four to six weeks, although he is hesitant to put an exact date on it.
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Mr Almoznino said: "Every time we put a date, and we were so confident it would be done, something happens, something happens.
"So we said, "let’s finish the job, don’t put another date, we have no stress.""
The building has been renovated and refurbished, and Mr Almoznino says it is now "looking good".
They are now waiting to put the flooring down and to add the final touches before opening Yafo up for business.
Mr Almoznino said: "We're positive and we're going to do something really nice. So we're not entirely stressing about it.
"We really want, all of us, to finish it now because we've had enough."
Options on the menu at Yafo will include falafel, mezze platters and a few "surprise dishes".
Everything will be made from scratch on site, excluding the pitta bread which will be sourced from the Abunoor bakery in St Philips, and the majority of the menu will be vegan.
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