Iconic waterfront restaurant in Walsall reopens

The new Piri Fino restaurant opened at the old Wharfingers Cottage last week, creating 25 new jobs in the process.

The restaurant chain, which also has outlets in Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield, used its £350,000 investment to 'sympathetically restore' the historic Walsall building to its 19th century glory.

The building sat derelict for a number of years and attracted vandalism and graffiti before Piri Fino submitted a planning application to council chiefs in 2015.

Councillor Aftab Nawaz has welcomed the opening of the restaurant and praised the town's waterfront as a good news story.

He said: "I think it complements the development of the waterfront. It is a high quality food outlet and is a good addition to the town centre where we are seeing more and more of an evening night-life take off.

"I think the waterfront has become one of the better good news stories in Walsall. We have a thriving waterfront area and as a St. Matthew's ward councillor that makes me very proud."

The head of Piri Fino in Walsall, 29-year-old Sandeep Rana, said: "Food quality is a major thing for me and I really believe in the product and brand and this is something I can proudly put my name to and feel confident it's of real benefit to the community in an era where obesity and unhealthy living is becoming a serious problem. It's essential to have a healthy, more ethical and tasty alternative to fried food outlets and it's fantastic to be at the helm of Piri Fino's new flagship development in Walsall. The restaurant has space for 65 diners and room for 40 in the bar area. There is also an alfresco dining option for days of nice weather, which can seat up to 40 people.

It is open seven days a week from midday until 11pm.