See inside the new restaurant that's aiming to spice up Hartlepool

The owner of a new restaurant in Hartlepool says he's aiming to bring something different to the town.
Zaika in Whitby Street, HartlepoolZaika in Whitby Street, Hartlepool
Zaika in Whitby Street, Hartlepool

Businessman Shay Miah has invested around £15,000 in transforming the former Cafe India in Whitby Street into new Indian restaurant, Zaika.

It opened last night with an opening evening attended by Mayor of Hartlepool, Coun Allan Barclay, who cut the ribbon, and other members of the community.

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This is Shay’s first restaurant on his own, but his family have many years experience in the hospitality trade with their businesses Sheesh Mahal in Seaton Carew and King Oswy takeaway in Hartlepool.

Shay said: “We’ve completely changed the look of the place and I think people will be really surprised when they see it. They will really notice the difference and we’ve created a more modern atmosphere.”

Speaking about what attracted him about the site, he said: “It’s got a great location near the town centre and we’ve had a lot of people walking past while we do renovations who’ve been interested to see what we’re doing.

“We want this to be a community place and we invited as many people as possible to come down for the opening night to try some of the food and see what we’ve done. There’s more demand for restaurants in Hartlepool now and we hope they’ll think we’ve created something different for the town.”

Owner Shay MiahOwner Shay Miah
Owner Shay Miah
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When asked about the meaning of the name, he said: “It comes from the meaning for flavours as we’ll be using a large collection of spices in our

dishes.”

Zaika will be open seven days a week for lunch and evening meals.