Karahi and grill restaurant
Open a small sit-down restaurant serving karahi, charcoal tikka and fresh naan to families and groups.
- £40k-150k
- Full-time
- Own premises
- Licence or permit needed
Estimates for a small start in the UK, not guarantees.
Official data
115 active UK companies have “karahi” in their name, 66% registered since 2024
Name search “company names containing “karahi””. Source: Companies House, November 2026.
What it is
A small restaurant built around karahi dishes cooked to order, charcoal-grilled tikka, seekh kebabs and chops, with fresh naan and a short, focused menu.
Your first three steps
- Draft a short menu, cost every dish and work out your prices and break-even covers per week
- Shortlist unit locations, then check planning use, extraction for charcoal grilling and lease terms with the council and a solicitor
- Complete a Level 2 food hygiene course and register your food business with the local council before opening
Who pays
Local families, groups of friends, office workers at lunch and people travelling in from nearby towns for a good karahi.
How it makes money
Food sales per table, with extra from sharing platters, drinks, desserts like kheer or gulab jamun, and booked group meals or celebrations.
Skills that help
- Cooking karahi and grill dishes consistently
- Running a kitchen and managing food costs
- Hiring and managing staff
- Good customer service
Watch out for
- Register as a food business with your council in good time before opening and expect a food hygiene inspection
- Check planning permission for the use of the unit and for kitchen extraction, especially with charcoal grills and smoke control rules
- Allergen information must be accurate and available, check the current rules for the 14 allergens
- If you describe meat as halal, be able to back it up with your supplier, check Trading Standards guidance
- Check if you need an alcohol licence if you plan to sell drinks
- Public liability insurance, employer's liability once you hire, and fire risk assessment
- High fixed costs: rent, rates, staff and energy
Deep research report · UK
Everything you need to start: karahi and grill restaurant
Researched with live web search for United Kingdom: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.
- Startup costs with real prices
- Licences, registration and rules
- Pricing: what others charge
- Break-even example
- Finding your first customers
- 30-day launch plan
- Risks and how to reduce them
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