An Afro-fusion restaurant in Dagenham is set to open later on weekends after a change to its licence was approved.
Barking & Dagenham Council has approved a variation to The CEO Lounge’s premises licence following a licensing sub-committee meeting on Thursday (October 2).
The restaurant in New Road will now open until 2.30am on Friday and Saturday – compared with the current 1am closing time – and sell alcohol until 2am.
Owner Victor Binitie had initially sought to open until 3am, however a reduction was agreed with the Metropolitan Police prior to the meeting.
The application was brought before the council because a resident objected to the proposals, raising concerns over “repeated disturbances”, “loud shouting” and “extremely loud music”, which they claim has already occurred “repeatedly” outside the premises.
However, at the council meeting, Mr Binitie argued the resident’s representation “carries little evidential weight”.
READ MORE: The CEO Lounge, New Road, Dagenham: First look inside
He said: “With respect, these claims are not supported by evidence and do not reflect how The CEO Lounge actually operates.
“What the evidence does show is that The CEO Lounge operates lawfully, responsibly and in support of the licensing objectives, while also delivering economic, cultural and social values to Barking and Dagenham.
“The CEO Lounge has never had any complaints from those most affected, and we’ve never had any police or environmental action against us.”
The resident who raised the objection was not present at the meeting.
Mr Binitie told the Post he is “very pleased” with the outcome of the meeting and believes the decision “reflects our ongoing commitment to running a responsible, well-managed, and community-focused establishment”.
He said: “From the start, our vision for The CEO Lounge has been to elevate the standard of hospitality in Barking and Dagenham by introducing world-class Afro-fusion dining and entertainment — something vibrant, inclusive, and positive for the borough.
“We’ve worked closely with the council, the licensing team, and the police to ensure our operations remain safe and compliant.”
He added that the restaurant has been sponsoring football team PFC Parsloes FC as part of its community initiatives.
