The Sharrow: Owner of Sheffield restaurant claims partial victory in three-year £500,000 battle to open
A Sheffield restaurateur is claiming a partial victory after being given permission to open by Sheffield City Council.
The Sharrow on Sharrow Vale Road is now set to launch in early May.
But it can only operate on the ground floor, which has room for 16. The first floor, which accommodates 50 diners and includes a controversial glass veranda, does not meet building regulations, the authority says.
He added: “I have been bleeding for three years, now finally there is some light and I can open the business. Then, hopefully, I can open the first floor as well.”
Mr Likaj and business partner Rendy Contstantin took over the former Otto’s restaurant in 2022.
But they ran into trouble over a £40,000 unauthorised first-floor glass-walled veranda. The council twice refused planning permission and then ordered it to be torn down.
Mr Likaj appealed to the Planning Inspector but lost.
Meanwhile, the restaurant was due to be called Dodona but the name was already taken by a business in Barrow-In-Furness. It launched a legal action to protect it and Dodona in Sheffield became The Sharrow.
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In September, Mr Likaj feared he would have nothing left after selling land and a house in Albania to cover costs of £500,000.
A spokesperson for Sheffield City Council said the health and safety team visited in early April and gave permission to open the ground floor.
Changes were required on the first floor, they added. Once complete, the building control team and heath & safety team would return to make a further assessment before a completion certificate could be issued.