'Otley is dead' says owner of town's new Mediterranean restaurant who wants alcohol licence to prevent drift to Harrogate

Abdulcelal Arik, who recently opened The Mardini Cafe and Bistro on Kirkgate, said diners in the town were flocking to Harrogate, instead of eating locally.

Mr Arik made the comments at a council hearing on Tuesday, where he was applying for a licence to sell alcohol until 10pm.

Explaining to councillors why he wanted the licence, Mr Arik said: “Kirkgate in Otley is like a dead place after 6pm.

“Down the street there is no people there. Why? Because there’s no action.

“The local people there go to Harrogate. They don’t have to do that. They can come to my place.”

Mr Arik said the fact he didn’t sell alcohol was putting diners off and that he’d allowed them to bring their own booze as a temporary measure.

He also warned councillors he’d have to lay staff off if he was unable to obtain a licence.

He said: “90 per cent of customers ask me when they are coming in, ‘Are you selling alcohol?’

“When you say ‘no’, they don’t want to come.

“On the phone when you say ‘no’ they don’t want to book.

“It’s not good. We’re living in the 21st century. There has to be a solution.

“If I don’t sell alcohol I’ll have to reduce my staff because I won’t have enough customers.

“Customers will go to other places, I won’t earn money and then it will be very stressful.”

After deliberating for around five minutes, a panel of three Leeds councillors unanimously agreed to grant the licence.