Islington Tribune - News: Anger as Ethiopian restaurant gets go-ahead for 5am opening

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Islington Tribune - by MARK BLUNDEN
Published: 24 August 2007

Binyam Shibiru

Anger as Ethiopian restaurant gets go-ahead for 5am opening

A RESTAURATEUR from Finsbury Park his hit back at residents’ claims that extended opening hours at his Ethiopian eatery will leave them unable to sleep at night.
On Wednesday morning, Town Hall licensing chiefs allowed Addis Abbaba, in Seven Sisters Road, to stay open until 5am on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
This was despite complaints from residents about noise they say would ensue with the longer hours.
Richard Cole, who lives above the restaurant, wrote: “We are in the middle of a residents area, not the West End. It will attract the wrong type of people to the area.”
Ben Tovey, of Yonge Park, complained: “While I am concerned about the noise this venue may generate, I am more concerned about intoxicated customer spilling out on to the street afterwards.”
But owner Binyam Shibiru, 27, disagreed, saying his restaurant was situated in an already extremely busy 24-hour area.
He said after the meeting: “None of the residents has been in to see me about this. It is a commercial area with 24-hour shops and nightclubs. There’s also a lot of noise from the traffic around Finsbury Park station.”
Mr Shibiru and his brother, Yonathan, 51, set up Addis Abbaba in April with diners coming from as far away as Hounslow to enjoy the cuisine.

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