Sheffield restaurant wants to serve food until 4am – but one person fears trouble

Sheffield City Council’s licensing sub-committee will next week (May 20) discuss an application from Abaseen Diner on the Wicker as the owner of the restaurant wants to extend his opening hours.

The proposal is for the diner to be open between 11am and 4am – it is currently open between 2pm and 2am seven days a week.

A document uploaded ahead of the meeting stated that the owners don’t want to sell alcohol on the premises.

The application will be in front of the licensing committee because there was one objection.

The objector – who is a local resident – said the area was a “highly densely populated residential area” and allowing the diner to be open until 4am could result in more anti-social behaviour and traffic.

The person added: “The premise sits on the corner of the Wicker and Stanley Street. Stanley Street already has problems with poor/illegal parking and is used as a ‘rat run’ by many drivers.”

In a second email, the objector said they were also concerned about delivery drivers and noise.

In response, the applicant (or, on his behalf, his business advisor) said there were other restaurants and takeaways open until 4am in the area and not approving this extended licence would be “discriminatory” in their belief.

The premise also has a prayer area and as the majority of the clientele are Muslim, alcohol consumption will not be an issue.

He said: “As an establishment, we do not sell alcohol and our clientele are not coming to the establishment having taken a drink, as our clientele are in the majority Muslim.

“We have a prayer area in our establishment which allows for our clientele who may have finished a late shift, or may still be on a break, to pray as well as partake in food.”

The hearing will take place next Monday at 11am at Sheffield Town Hall.