A GROUP of businessmen who set up the Los Locos Mexican restaurant in Micklegate has launched a new fast food concept they hope to branch out all over the UK.

The team has opened Curry Box, which is targeting students, revellers and the lunchtime market with its cheap and cheerful curry, in the unit next door to Los Locos.

The take away serves only six types of curry, which is made off site and delivered daily, then heated up for two minutes to heat and sold for £3.95.

Two of the business partners Greig McGill and Tony Moore previously ran Walker Leisure, a family business that operated 15 bingo clubs in the UK, which they sold in 2003 for £12 million.

They met fellow businessmen Garry Horwell and Richard Fleming in the gym, where they got talking about starting a new venture and then set up Los Locos earlier this year.

The team opened the first Curry Box four weeks ago in a unit they already own next door to Los Locos.

Greig said they intend to open two further take aways in York city centre in the next few weeks and roll the brand out nationally.

The lunchtime trade has been “phenomenal” in its Micklegate branch he said, because it is close to large employers Aviva and Northern Rail, as well as the bus station.

He said the concept would provide an alternative to the Indian takeaway. “When you go for an Indian takeaway you add bits and bobs and probably end up with twice as much food as you can physically eat. And it is an alternative to the fast food that’s already out there, like burgers and kebabs, of which there are quite a few.”

The business is already looking at sites in Selby, Nottingham, Sheffield and Manchester and Greig said that in the future, they would ultimately like to develop it into a franchise model.

“If the rents are right we can put one of these shops in and build it in a week. We have contractors on standby to go. We want to have one in every town and city in the UK,” he said.