Ten new jobs were created at a new Bradford restaurant focusing on European halal food .

The Cona Italian restaurant in Little Germany was launched by two local Asian businessmen and self-confessed ‘foodies’ Oman Rana and Armi Ahmed.

Armi said they particularly want the restaurant to appeal to Bradford’s growing band of young Muslim professionals who faced a restricted choice of food in non-halal restaurants They are also hoping that The Cona’s location in East Parade, Little Germany, will benefit from its proximity to Westfield’s new shopping development.

Staff have been recruited locally, with the kitchen team led by head chef Gavin Jackson, who has previous experience at the Michelin-starred Devonshire Arms at Bolton Abbey.

Armi said: “We are both Asian businessmen but did not want Cona to be another Indian restaurant as Bradford already has many good examples of that.

“All our meat is halal so, among other diners, Cona will give young professional Asian people the chance to eat quality Italian cui-sine in a fine dining restaurant environment. This is a unique con-cept and we believe it is the only restaurant of its type in the UK.”

Another local restaurant owner celebrated a successful first year in which he served more than 30,000 customers. Paolo Devitorris marked the anniversary of Rocca restaurant in Thornton Road by presenting £500 to his 30,000th customer.

  • The owner of Bradford’s historic Midland Hotel said the business had come through the recession better than many of its competitors and pledged to continue upgrading the city centre three-star venue.

Robert Peel, chairman of Peel Hotels, said the group, had significantly reduced its finance costs during 2013, leaving more cash for capital expenditure. He said prospects for the business were improving modestly after it returned to profit last year.

“We have reduced our debts and finance costs, remained solvent and returned to profit, which shows the strength of our business model. I began to feel that real economic improvement had started in January 2013 and there has been a steady recovery since which makes the outlook much better, “ he said.

He also hoped that Peel shareholders would receive a dividend payment next year – which would be the first for five years.

  • A professional women’s support body was sold by the founder to one of its members.

Forward Ladies was set up by Etta Cohen in 2000 and has been acquired for an undisclosed sum by business growth consultant Griselda Togobo, who was previously Forward Ladies’ Bradford regional manager.

The organisation has grown from an offshoot of the former regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, where Etta Cohen was business relationship manager, to a commercial operation with a database of more than 13,000 professional women Griselda Togobo said Forward Ladies would complement the activities of her company AWOVI Consulting, which supports businesswomen through consultancy, educational workshops, seminars and speaking engagements.

She said: “Forward Ladies will be developed to give working women the support, training and access to peer and mentor net-works they need to help them progress in their professional lives and build bet-ter businesses.”