A Broad Street restaurant established 16 years ago has relaunched today following a \u00a3500,000 refurbishment.<\/p>\n
Rai Singh, founder and owner of Pushkar, has said the major revamp \u2013 a bold and potentially risky move \u2013 was necessary in order to save the restaurant from possible closure. The new opening will welcome customers to transformed interiors, an updated menu, and a more modern vibe.<\/p>\n
According to Birmingham Live, despite the restaurant\u2019s initial success \u2013 including a Best of Birmingham recognition at the National Curry Awards this year \u2013 it has been hit by the cost of living crisis and changes to government legislation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a challenging few years for everybody in the restaurant business,\u201d said Singh. <\/p>\n
\u201cRestaurants have had to put their prices up to justify their existence. Eating out has become a bit of a luxury \u2013 people are still eating out, but not as much.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cIt was a big decision\u2026 Do I close the doors or do I give this one more shot? I didn\u2019t want to regret not trying.\u201d<\/p>\n
Two weeks ago, Singh decided to close the restaurant temporarily to allow for a complete rebrand and overhaul of the interiors using the \u00a3500,000 investment.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are either going to love it or hate it,\u201d he said, adding: \u201cWe wanted to make things a bit more relaxed, we\u2019ve done a new menu and have moved away from the fine dining element towards a more casual chic concept.<\/p>\n
\u201cDiners will still get the same quality of food and quality of service, so there\u2019s no compromise there, but it\u2019s a more modern take on Indian food.\u201d<\/p>\n
Singh shared that although he also considered a change in location, he decided to stay put in the end and hopefully \u201cput Birmingham Broad Street back on the map\u201d.<\/p>\n
Recent social media posts for the restaurant revealed the 1 August relaunch date. They also showed glimpses of a modern interior, which speaks to a dramatic transformation of Pushkar\u2019s vibe, while calling the reopening \u201cA fresh chapter\u201d.<\/p>\n