Darlington takeaway Radgie's to relocate due to demand

Radgie's, a takeaway and street food style venue which promises “big city flavours” is the brainchild of Darlington-based owner Ishy Miah which recently opened its doors in February.

The unusually named takeaway with a bright pink pop of colour has become a hit in the town serving up a taste of Nashville and South Asian food including smash burgers, Nashville Chicken, curry, pizzas and parmos.

The new location will be based in the heart of the town centre on Blackwellgate next to the popular Italian restaurant Uno Momento.

Ishy said: “We only opened about two months ago, and we’ve honestly been overwhelmed by how busy it’s been.

“Our current place is quite big, but the kitchen is small. The new premises will give us a much larger kitchen, plus a prep room at the back and more floor space overall.

Radgie's Darlington (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

“The new place is in the town centre, which is just down the road from where we are now, so it’ll be much more convenient - especially for drivers getting in and out.

“But we’re really excited. We’re currently doing it up and hoping to be in there early next month.”

The 23-year-old who learnt the trade working at his dad's long-established venue Café Spice said the venture had been “years in the making.”

He said: “I've been working in hospitality since I was about 13 years old. My family run restaurants, so I thought it's something I've always wanted to do.

“I thought this is the kind of food I'd want in a town and what you’d find in big cities like Newcastle. So, I thought, all this would do really well in Darlington.”

Despite an official opening date not yet revealed, the owner said the new premises will be opening within the next few weeks and is currently undergoing a refurb ahead of the opening.

The 23-year-old said: “There’s not a huge amount of work to do. It was previously running as a takeaway a couple of years ago, so most of the main setup is already there.

“We’re just going to put our own twist on it, bring in our equipment, and get everything ready to go.”

Despite a few teething problems after the initial opening, the business has since gone from strength to strength and will also be introducing an expanded menu and longer opening hours.

Radgie's Darlington (Image: RADGIES)

He said: “The menu is probably going to be twice as big. We’re introducing a lunchtime menu from around 12 or 1pm, and we’ll be open late every night, and until 4am on Saturdays.”

Ishy said the relocation marks how far the business has come in such a short space of time.

He said: “It feels amazing. To be moving into a bigger place after just two or three months is a real achievement. I’m really proud of myself and all the team.”

“In the beginning, we had a few hiccups and things went wrong, but the important thing is we came back from it. Since then, we’ve been doing really well.”

An official opening date is set to be announced in the coming weeks.

Radgies is currently located at 89 Victoria Road, Darlington.