Brighton Restaurant Boss Awaits Decision on 24/7 Trading Bid

A Brighton restaurant owner is waiting to hear whether he can open his business around the clock, after councillors were asked to decide on his latest bid for a late-night licence.

Bahaaeldin Abdelalim – known as Bahaa – runs the Station Grill in Queen’s Road and has applied to trade between 11pm and 5am, which would allow the restaurant to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

This is his third application in less than a year.

Previous bids to open until 2am and 3am were both turned down, with councillors citing concerns about late-night disturbance and the cumulative impact of businesses in the busy city centre area.

Sussex Police and Brighton and Hove City Council’s licensing team have again objected, raising concerns about crime and antisocial behaviour linked to late-night venues.

Police also alleged the grill had traded beyond its permitted hours earlier this month – a claim Mr Abdelalim disputes.

More than 40 people emailed letters of support for the Station Grill, saying it provides a valuable service in the city.

Mr Abdelalim told the panel that granting the licence would help his business recover financially and argued his restaurant does not sell alcohol.

A licensing panel of three Labour councillors heard the case on Monday (18 August) and will announce their decision within five working days.