A PERI peri restaurant will open its first site in the UK in Bradford with a civic flavour later this month.

Veri Peri, on the corner of The Broadway in Hall Ings, will be officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Geoff Reid, on Wednesday, August 31, from 4pm.

Veri Peri has two branches in Dubai and one in Saudi Arabia, but the Bradford restaurant will be its first in the UK.

The venture has created 25 full-time jobs and part-time roles. It will be open between 11am and 11pm, seven days a week.

Last-minute preparations are now under way at the restaurant, with the tables and chairs now in place and finishing touches being completed.

Saad Javed, 22, manager of the Bradford branch, said the business was looking to expand across the UK and chose Bradford as its “pilot project” ahead of its UK expansion.

He said: “We have chosen to open our first UK restaurant in Bradford as it has a good mix of different cultures. That is our target audience.

“When we were looking at where to make our first impact on the UK restaurant scene, it was clear that Bradford would be the perfect fit.

“We want to start off in Bradford.

“We want to go to London next and plan to open 13 other restaurants across the UK in the next year.

“I’m really confident that we’ll be able to really make our mark in The Broadway, and that shoppers here will relish the chance to try our food.

“When it is up and running, Bradford will be our pilot project in the UK.

“We want to expand very quickly in the UK.

“Hopefully the UK will be the base for our business.”

The restaurant’s menu will include peri peri chicken dishes, pasta, salads and Aberdeen Angus steaks.

Ian Ward, general manager of The Broadway shopping centre, said: “Veri Peri will make a welcome addition to our wide-ranging portfolio of restaurants within the centre.

“I’m sure that our customers will be incredibly keen to try out the menu once they open.”