A family of restauranteurs has relocated their trendy London venue to Preston so they can spend more time as a family.
Newly opened Eastern Charm in Guildhall Street owned by Abo Sousam and is delighting foodies with its wide range of authentic Middle Eastern flavours and dishes
Newly opened Eastern Charm in Guildhall Street owned by Abo Sousam and is delighting foodies with its wide range of authentic Middle Eastern flavours and dishes
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00:00Yeah, so what was the initial draw of coming to Preston for this restaurant?
00:05So we have been in Preston for five years now.
00:11We had a restaurant in London, Edgewood Road, and my dad was there and we were here, so
00:20it was a bit hard for us.
00:23So we started to look for a restaurant in Preston to open it, and then we found this
00:28place, which is really nice and it's incredible.
00:33So yeah, we chose this place because we found it very unique and we want the family to be
00:41together.
00:42So yeah, basically it's a family business.
00:47We are trying to give our best to Preston because we like this city and we like the
00:52people around here.
00:54So yeah, the main thing of this restaurant is to, you know, to give the best customer
01:02service for our customers and also the best food test in Preston.
01:09So what does the restaurant offer?
01:12What would you say is the main type of food that you do, what's your best dish?
01:17There are lots, to be honest.
01:19I can't choose one.
01:20We have the shawarma, which is our main dish, the grills, crispy.
01:26We have some Middle Eastern cuisines as well.
01:29So we have got a really big menu, you know, just to satisfy everyone and all the tastes
01:34as well.
01:35How successful has the opening of the restaurant been?
01:39It was really good.
01:43The opening was incredible.
01:44A lot of people came.
01:47A lot of people from the council as well, you know, were invited.
01:52They were so happy and we had like a small celebration.
01:56Yeah, so it was really good.
02:00And as you know, as a restaurant in the start, it's going really well.
02:06We are getting a lot of good reviews from the customers and we are building a really
02:11good reputation between people in Preston and a lot of people are coming from different
02:15cities.
02:16So that's a really good start.
02:17Yeah, so any kind of restaurant getting success is amazing.
02:18Is that elevated by being a family business that's going well and working well?
02:27Yeah, of course.
02:30When it's a family business, it indicates to the customers that it's more friendly,
02:45it's more welcoming when the whole family is working at the same place.
02:49So that's really good as well.
02:53It shows to the customers that it's...
02:59You know, when people come to Eastern Charm, I always hear from the customers that they
03:05feel it's a home more than a restaurant.
03:08So when they sit, when they eat, they feel comfortable, they feel welcoming, they feel
03:17warm as well.
03:19So I think this is because it's a family business more than food and service and just a restaurant.
03:35The thing is, my dad has been a chef for 25 years now and we have been through a lot
03:45of struggles.
03:46So when we opened this restaurant, we decided that we would put all the efforts and all
03:52love and all the experience that my dad had in this restaurant.
03:56So we are working really hard on it, you know, because it's more than a business to make
04:01it fit in all the cultures.
04:03So basically in Preston, there are, for example, there are a lot of people from Pakistan, there
04:13are English, some Arabs, and there are a lot of students in Preston.
04:18So what we are trying to do is, we are trying to save budget for the students.
04:27We are working on it right now.
04:29And also, we are trying to offer different cuisines for different people from different
04:36countries.
04:37So it's not just Middle Eastern restaurant, we are trying to satisfy everyone else.