Blue and White Cafe near Smeeth, Ashford, gets permission for kebab van off A20
15:04, 02 September 2020
updated: 17:16, 02 September 2020
A roadside cafe has been granted permission to add a kebab van to its culinary offering.
The Blue and White Cafe, on the A20 just outside Smeeth, has been run by Amanpreet Hundal for the last three years.
The eatery has a number of regulars but is starting to outgrow its capacity, prompting Mr Hundal to expand his business.
And having submitted a planning application for a food van in May, permission was granted earlier this month.
Mr Hundal says the mobile kebab vendor - which he is calling the 'A20 Grill' and will offer Turkish cuisine - will be “the next step in the business".
He said: “I haven’t bought the van yet because getting planning is the hardest stage and I didn’t know if I was going to get it, so I didn’t want to invest before getting the planning.
“Next I have to ask the council for a licence to operate the food van, but the hardest part is definitely over.”
On the application, Mr Hundal received an overwhelming number of support comments.
He said: “I really can’t wait to welcome people to the food van.
“We’ve already been in the cafe for three years and we’ve never had any problems involving someone leaving our cafe.”
These comments come after some expressed concern for drivers leaving his establishment and joining a 60mph road.
"If anyone does have concerns, they’re welcome to stop by and talk to us about them..."
But Mr Hundal has assured these people that floodlighting is being installed to reduce the risk to customers.
He added: “If anyone does have concerns, they’re welcome to stop by and talk to us about them. We’re happy to listen and see whether we can address any worries.”
Mr Hundal hopes the van will be up and running as soon as possible.
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