AN INDIAN restaurant has served its final meal 18 years after opening its doors.

Bosses at Bengal Brasserie, in Poppleton, say the cost of running the popular business has become too much and their efforts will instead focus on revamping their premises in York.

The business, which also has restaurants in Wetherby and Leeds, is currently refurbishing the Goodramgate venue ahead of its re-opening next month.

Malik Dobir, co-owner, said customers were in tears as staff brought the curtain down on almost two decades of work in Poppleton, but an increase in how much money is put into the business has been deemed too expensive for the owners.

"It's very hard to see it close," he said.

"But it's going to be more reasonable to run the site in York, where there are very small outgoings and overheads.

"It was getting harder to run a restaurant and our rates have gone up."

Mr Malik opened his first restaurant in Leeds in 1989 and now owns a Bengal Brasserie in Headingley.

The Goodramgate restaurant opened in 1996 and management expanded into Poppleton three years later.

It built up a strong customer base and a fourth restaurant was opened in 2012 in Wetherby, but the current economic climate has proven to be too much.

"A lot of people were crying when we closed the restaurant," added Mr Malik.

"They made us very emotional but I'm sure they will come to York and see us.

"We are looking froward to opening.

"We are changing everything internally and the shop front, so it's going to be nice and modern."

The York restaurant smaller than Poppleton, but Mr Malik says all the staff have been transferred to work in Goodramgate.