An Indian restaurant in Barrowford is on the market as the ready to retire owner is looking for a new entrepreneur to take over.

Bombay Lounge in Barrowford has been put up for sale on social media by owner Nurul Haque who is hoping to retire before he reaches 50 years old.

Nurul has run Bombay Lounge for over 12 years but says that he wants to sell the restaurant, so he is able to spend more quality time with his wife and three children.

Speaking on his decision to sell, Nurul said: “I’ve worked in hospitality my whole live and been running this restaurant for 12 and a half years but it’s time for me to retire. It would be a great achievement for me to retire before I turn 50 in September so I can enjoy family time.

“Because of staff shortages in the hospitality industry, you can’t take a lot of time off and a lot of good businesses are selling up because of this issue. I haven’t had the time to go on holiday or spend time with my family properly which is why I’ve decided to sell.

“I’ve built up a really loyal customer base at the restaurant and the community is fantastic. When, or if, a sale does happen I will be giving a month’s notice before I sell it – I won’t close the restaurant down immediately.

“It’s a fantastic community and I’ve earned a lot of respect in the village, around Burnley and Pendle, because I do a lot of charity work in the area.”

Nurul regularly donates food to local homeless shelters, elderly people in nursing homes, and the women’s domestic violence organisation – Safenet in Nelson.

Hoping to continue working within the community, Nurul added that there is a “good chance” he might downsize to a takeaway if the opportunity arises. He said: “Because of Covid, a lot of our customers started using the delivery service which has continued to stay really popular so if I find the right business partner, downsizing could be a possibility.

“I think there’s a good opportunity to transform the place into a Thai restaurant because we haven’t got a Thai anywhere local so that would do really well.

“But it is suitable for any type of cuisine or wine bar. The rental rate is really good compared to other places in Barrowford as well.”

Bombay Lounge is located on Gisburn Road in Barrowford. Anyone who is interested in buying can get in touch with Nurul by calling 01282 616006.