More than 10,000 diners have sampled the vast new Royal Nawaab restaurant in the ‘Stockport Pyramid’ building on the edge of Manchester, in a two-week soft launch ahead of its formal opening this month.
The glass pyramid was the head office of the Co-Op Bank for 23 years until 2018, and has been converted at a reported cost of £15 million to provide a restaurant and banqueting suites that can accommodate up to 1,500 guests – with more to come as the upper storeys are refurbished. Royal Nawaab also has branches in Ilford and Perivale on the outskirts of London – the latter in the Hoover building, an Art Deco landmark beside the M40.
Royal Nawaab’s founder, Mahboob Hussain, knew the building well from driving past it to Levenshulme, where he had a restaurant for many years.
“When we first got it, there were people who criticised me and said I was being silly to turn the Pyramid into a restaurant. They couldn’t see that it would be a success, but I always believed in it and I knew I would bring it back to life.
“When people walk in, the first thing they say is ‘Wow’ and they can’t believe what we have done with it. I’m very pleased with the response we have got. People have really been enjoying themselves. So it feels like we are dong something really special for the Stockport and Greater Manchester area.”
