Colchester: Raj Palace in North Station Road becoming supermarket

The unit at 28 North Station Road, was home to Raj Palace, a restaurant which made authentic Indian cuisine.

It was only last year that the restaurant closed for refurbishment work, but it officially closed in January this year.

Road - North Station Road (Image: Google Maps) Now, it is being transformed into a new shop called Sasi Supermarket and it will be stocking products from Sri Lanka, India and Africa.

A new shopfront was installed over the weekend and a banner says it will also be an off licence.

Maeid Rashid, 29, from Colchester, ran the restaurant with his family. It’s been in the city for 35 years and was well-established within Colchester.

Mr Rashid has now moved on to working in the property development sector.

Mr Rashid said after the "mini-revamp" the business "found customers were still finding it tough to make regular visits as they once did" and cited the cost of living being a factor. 

He said: “We’ve had loyal customers for many years, we’d like to thank them for coming to Raj Palace.

"The restaurant has held many special memories for many of our customers over the years.

“We made a decision on what to do with the property alongside development and we’ve leased the property on, we are moving on with other business ventures.

“The property was put up on the market and Sasi supermarket approached us and we thought they were a suitable candidate to take on part of the property and make it a success.

“We wish them the best of luck with the supermarket.”

Being transformed - the Sasi Supermarket banner (Image: Sir Bob Russell)North Station Road is already home to a range of different restaurants, cafes, and businesses from different parts of the world.

Right next to the former Raj Palace, there is the Wan Fung House Chinese takeaway, south Indian takeaway Café Malabar, D&M Men’s Grooming and more.

Heading further towards Middleborough, there are also establishments like Gurkha Groceries, and The Globe Hotel.

Castle Ward Councillor Mark Goacher said: “Obviously, it is sad when a restaurant closes especially when it has been going for a while.

“The positive thing is that the unit won’t be sitting empty for long.

“It is a culturally varied area with many different businesses, this adds to the diverse provisions along the road, which is a good thing.”

An opening date has not been confirmed yet for Sasi Supermarket.