tacres@thekmgroup.co.uk

@TomAcresKM

You might think serving up some of the best curry dishes would be the height of ambition for any Indian restaurant.

The owner of Green Spice, in Green Street Green Road, Dartford, however, has far bigger plans than simply providing diners with quality service and tasty food.

With a £3.2 billion theme park resort on the horizon, Sham Islam, 41, is hoping to cash in by transforming his restaurant into a lavish guest house right at the heart of what could become a genuine tourism hot-spot.

Mr Islam, who runs the restaurant with business partner Nure Russell, 35, said: “We have some very high standards.

“We are doing it to try and get more financial support because at the moment all the businesses around here are just surviving, to be honest. We thought it would help us and also help with local jobs.

“The restaurant has been going for 15 years but, because of the recession, every business suffered and we are in the same boat. Our local councillors and local residents are all supporting us.”

Expanding the first floor of the building and converting the loft will make space for 20 rooms, all with en suite bathrooms.

The ground floor will house a reception and waiting area, and plenty of breakfast options will be added to what promises to be a hugely updated menu.

Having served nothing but Indian dishes since opening in 2002, Mr Islam is excited by
the prospect of adding fresh cuisine.

“It will be a fine dining menu — the restaurant will be downsized but the quality will improve,” he said.

“At the moment we have capacity for 100 diners but it will go down to about 50. Our existing customers are all for it, they
are excited with what we are doing.”

Green Spice has previously won national awards for the quality of its food. It took home the title of best restaurant in the London suburbs at the British Curry Awards in December, prompting Dartford MP Gareth Johnson to label it as an asset to the community.

He said: “I have eaten at Green Spice a number of times; the food is always fantastic and it is a popular local dining choice.”

Mr Islam hopes the promise of more great food and accommodation to match will make it an attractive proposition for tourists in the years ahead.

He said: “Paramount Park is obviously in our mind but it is quite far into the future and there will be other hotels
and restaurants that come with that.

“We would like to get started quite soon. Summer will be a good time to do the building work as that is a quieter period for us, but it depends on what is said at the planning meeting.”

The application will be considered by a planning committee at a later date.