A staple of Downtown Guelph's dining landscape is up for sale as the owners plan on an early retirement.
Diana Downtown, known locally as 'The Diana,' first opened in 1986 and over the years has had three different owners.
Husband and wife Janan Shah and Koshah Noorah have owned and operated Diana Downtown since Feb. 1, 2013.
“I love this restaurant,” said Shah Monday in an interview inside the popular Wyndham Street North spot.
“The reason we grow, my family grow, is this restaurant,” he said.
They are retiring to take care of their health and be with family. Head chef Noorah ended up pulling the long shifts since it was difficult to find employees, said their daughter Sanna Noor, who also serves as front of house manager.
The business is listed for $450,000.
“It's hard that this decision was made just because they are the backbone of this restaurant, my dad and my mom. And we want them to take care of their health and just spend more time together go on vacation without being stressed,” said Noor.
She said her parents worked incredibly hard and now she wants them to take time for themselves and retire early since their children are all grown up.
Shah came to Canada from Pakistan in 2004 with an engineering degree. He knew he would eventually open a business and when the opportunity came to take over Diana Downtown from Shelina Lalani he took it.
“Still I’m thankful for her,” said Shah.
When Lalani offered Shah the business he told her he didn’t have money to buy it, he said. He was able to finance it through her.
“We had no family members here. No relatives here. We have no friends here … at that time,” Shah said.
Noorah worked as a prep cook at Diana Downtown for five years before they became owners. She worked through the ownership change from the original Khamis family owners to Lalani.
Lalani showed them the ropes and the family took it from there.
The menu has stayed the same.
“This name Diana Downtown that is built by our community members. It's been here because of them,” said Noor.
Shah recalled a time when a regular customer didn’t have money to pay her bill and they had told her it was no problem and she could pay it next time. The same day she passed away. The woman’s daughter came to the restaurant to pay the bill but they didn’t take her money.
“Doesn't matter if she was paid or not paid. But regularly she was feeling this is my family business. This is my family restaurant,” said Shah.
“Diana embodies making memories, the love for food and giving back to the community,” said Noor.
She remembered when she was a student at GCVI the restaurant wanted to bring back the everyday breakfast menu. Noor would wake up at 6 a.m. with her mother and open the restaurant. Time often got the best of her she would walk into her morning class late.
“Everyone knows that I have along with my family have lived and breathed in Diana,” Noor said.
It really is a family business.
While Noorah is working as the head chef in the kitchen Noor is managing the front of house and Shah is managing the business and supply orders. Noor’s brother Jahan Zaib Shah does the accounting for the restaurant and Naqash Shah helps with cooking and wears all sorts of hats. The children's uncle Nasihat Khan is a cook.
When they are not working at the restaurant, Shah works at Linamar, Noor works at the Guelph Community Centre and her brothers work in accounting and banking.
Since owning the restaurant Shah’s family of five have never taken a vacation altogether.
The one time they took time off together was for four days for Noor’s wedding. It was held at the restaurant and they invited "customers that have become our family our friends,” Noor said.
Customers have seen Noor grow, get married, get her masters in public health, and grow in her journey since she started working at 15 as a host at the restaurant, she said.
When the business is sold the family want to go to Pakistan altogether.
The staff at Diana Downtown are amazing, said Noor.
"They're our family. We're a small but mighty team but it's a family team," she said.
The family hopes another family will take over the restaurant.
“Even just some advice for the future owners I think continue Diana as it is. Improve but continue the heart of the recipe. Continue that giving back to the community,” Noor said.
She said they would be happy to support the new owners.
Shah and Noor emphasized how grateful they are for their customers.
“We want that love to continue for Diana's,” said Noor. “We want again that legacy of Diana's to continue. We want them to embrace Diana’s you know forever.”
