Spice City, an Indian restaurant on Stanley Street in Liverpool city centre, is marking 20 years of service. Founder Niz Islam attributes the milestone to adapting to changing times while keeping customers at the heart of the business.
Niz, who has roots in Bangladesh and grew up in Liverpool, began his hospitality career at the family takeaway, Parade Tandoori. "It was established in 1989 and ever since then, as a family, we've always been hands on. My interest was more about connecting with customers and not being behind counter," he told the ECHO.
From family takeaway to own restaurant
After receiving financial support from his family to acquire the Stanley Street premises, Niz faced the challenge of building a brand from scratch. "The previous business was very successful but it lost its way over time and eventually got sold on. To build in the place of a fallen business is more difficult than opening a fresh new restaurant. People already had an opinion so it was up to me to change it," he said.
The premises required a full renovation. "You would come in and your shoes would stick to the carpet, and so on. Guests would walk in, up the stairs and to the bar and have to go back down and again just to get into the restaurant. The whole place needed renovated. We ripped it out," Niz added.
Spice City opened on October 9 2006, but business was slow at first. Niz credited his menu for turning things around. "One of the busiest times was lunch because you were serving a three course meal for £3.99. You'd fill the place up and work really hard, but then come to counting the payments and you'd made nothing," he said.
Adapting to a changing industry
He increased the lunch price to £5.99, allowing the restaurant to offer more and make the effort worthwhile. "Pots of curry were precooked and under the stove. I wanted to make sure we delivered the best taste and everything was homemade and cooked fresh," Niz explained.
Over the next two decades, Liverpool's hospitality scene became far more competitive. "You really didn't need to do much marketing but it's so challenging now. There's so much competition now. You were once limited to where you went if you wanted Indian cuisine, but the number of places have gone up," he said.
To stay ahead, Spice City embraced trends early. "We were one of the first Indian restaurants to offer cocktails on our menu. Street food became really popular and so we made sure we had something for the younger generation who wanted it. Instagram came in and everyone wanted a nice picture so presentation became key," Niz said.
Surviving fire and hardship
The restaurant also endured significant struggles, including the credit crunch, Covid-19 restrictions and an arson attack. In 2009, a fire ripped through the restaurant after rubbish in a rear doorway was set ablaze. Flames and smoke shot up a back stairwell and into flats above, hospitalising four people with smoke inhalation. Residents fled to the rooftop and clambered to other buildings, losing everything but the clothes they wore.
The fire destroyed the interior walls and roof of the Grade II-listed building, causing an estimated £1.7m of damage. "I can't believe we're still here and managed to survive everything. The uptake in new cuisines, the financial crash and Covid - it's been a lot," Niz said.
To celebrate the 20-year milestone, Niz is hosting a charity night in collaboration with Liverpool's Paper Cup cafe in aid of homelessness. "It's something that's close to my heart. There's an Islamic charity I used to work with every month to deliver 40 biryanis to people in need. I'm going to be entertaining everyone and guests can donate whatever they like in an envelope, and we will make sure it goes to people who need it," he said.
Rather than hosting a party for himself, Niz simply invited customers to enjoy the menu, adding: "I'd like to have another 20 years with everyone."
