Azure Hospitality to launch new venture on site of Gaylord restaurant

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India-based restaurant group Azure Hospitality is set to launch a new venture on the site of the Gaylord restaurant in London’s Mortimer street, which closed after more than 50 years in business in June.

Gaylord, which specialised in the Mughali cuisine of northern India, opened in 1966. It was believed to have the first tandoor oven in the UK, having imported one from India.

It closed its doors in June this year, while restaurant guide Harden’s recorded that its website and phone number were removed in July.

Now it has emerged that Gaylord is to be replaced by a new restaurant called Banjarah, operated by Azure Hospitality. Azure Hospitality, founded in 2009, is run by Indian national Rahul Khanna and his American business partner Kabir Suri. The company runs 13 restaurants in India under the Asian brand Mamagoto, another nine Dhaba restaurants, two Sly Granny restaurants in Bangalore and New Delhi, Asian food delivery business Speedy Chow, and street food brand Rollmaal.

Gaylord, whose Twitter feed still states that the restaurant is currently closed for refurbishment, saw its registered office changed to an address in Croydon in August this year – the same address at which Banjarah Ltd, of which Khanna and Suri are both directors, is also registered.

Azure Hospitality has been contacted for comment.