Classic Persian Restaurant owner reveals future of business

Classic Persian Restaurant, in Little Horton Lane, was put up for sale last week with a guide price of £310,000.

The news was met with an outpouring of sadness online, with plenty of people having enjoyed their time at the eatery over its 10 years of being open.

Multiple comments on social media declared Classic Persian as the "best restaurant in Bradford", while one person said they were "gutted", and another added, "great food and friendly staff, so sorry to see you go."

Ali Sarpast, 46, who owns the restaurant with his partner Sara, told the Telegraph & Argus he is retiring and wants to go back to his home country of Iran for a visit.

Ali Sarpast, who is selling Classic Persian Restaurant (Image: Telegraph & Argus)

He described his time running the restaurant as “fantastic” but is “ready to go home” for a bit and has been at it for “a long time”.

Ali came over to the UK from Iran when he was 19 years old, in 1997.

He said: “I was coming from Iran to make a good life, to make an easy life, working very hard.”

At one point he was living in Leeds and worked in a restaurant, a coffee shop, and a fish and chip shop over the years.

Classic Persian Restaurant, in Little Horton Lane (Image: Google Street View)

Ali came to Bradford in 2015 and found the premises where Classic Persian would open.

He transformed the building himself, doing everything from joinery to painting. 

“Plenty said ‘don’t do it, it will be very hard for you’," he said. 

“The first day, I made money, straight away customers came, food in front of them, everything fresh."

Ali said every year has got better and better for the business. 

Now it is time for someone else to take the reins but Ali said when he sells, everything about the restaurant will be “the same, no change, nothing” and he won’t sell it to be turned into properties.

Inside Classic Persian Restaurant (Image: Telegraph & Argus)

He also committed to saying the current staff would be staying and said they are “on a year contract”.

Ali added: “The staff know what they’re doing.”

Inside Classic Persian Restaurant (Image: Telegraph & Argus)

There have been two or three people showing an interest in the business so far, according to Ali.

But he is not in any rush to sell the restaurant and wants it to be the right person.

He said: “Find a good person, good people who know how to run a business.

“I’ve done it for 10 years, I know that business is making money.”