Award winning Indian restaurant in Leeds brought to the market

With the capacity to accommodate for approximately 85 guests, the fully licensed restaurant comprises a bar and dining areas across two floors and a first floor mezzanine, ideal for private parties and events. The popular and well-established restaurant offers Gujarati vegetarian home cooking with touches of the chef’s East African upbringing.

Having received a number of impressive awards and accolades since first opening in 1986, Hansa’s has become an iconic ‘must visit’ dining experience in Leeds. Hansa’s was named the ‘Best Indian Vegetarian Restaurant in UK’ by Daily Telegraph in 2018, ’Best Vegetarian Restaurant in UK 2017’ by the Yorkshire and the Humber Awards, and awarded the 'Outstanding Contribution to the Leeds Restaurant Industry' by the Leeds Restaurant Association in 2008.

Ideally located in close proximity to popular attractions and amenities, including the O2 Academy, both University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University, Leeds Art Gallery, Victoria Gate, the Light and Trinity Shopping Centre and a 24/7 car park just two minutes away, the business has benefited from increasing footfall through the busy licensed circuit over the last year. The construction of a new hotel and leisure development, featuring residential and retail facilities, on Regent Street, adjacent to the business, is expected to further increase footfall in the area.

Currently operating only five hours a day on weekdays and two hours on Sunday, there is further scope to increase the restaurant’s trading hours during the daytime. A takeaway service, catering to the growing number of residential customers in the surrounding areas, could also benefit the weekly income.

After 33 years in the industry, current owner, Chef Hansa Dabhi is now looking forward to entering semi-retirement and comments, “We will be looking to hire managers or owners with a similar passion and enthusiasm to look after the baby I have created and nurtured for so long. I still want to keep on with my cookery school because I want to pass on my culinary skills to as many enthusiasts as possible, with the hope that it would enhance their knowledge and skills in living a good healthy life. This is my way of giving something back to the great people of Yorkshire who have supported and stood by me all these years.”

Sam Ashton, Business Agent at Christie & Co is handling the sale and comments, “We are very pleased to have been instructed to offer Hansa’s Gujarati Restaurant to the market. We expect a high level of interest from experienced operators looking to take over what is already an iconic and successful restaurant. We feel a new operator would be able to extend the opening hours to include lunch hours and longer hours on Sundays, as well as provide a takeaway service. Additionally, the present, growing trend for speciality beers could give the restaurant added interest.”

Christie & Co is seeking £135,000 for the leasehold interest of Hansa’s Gujarati Restaurant with an annual rent of £18,000.