Celebrations As Award-Winning Pride Park Restaurant Marks 5-Year Anniversary

Derby’s award-winning Nicco Restaurant and Bar is celebrating its fifth anniversary this month, invoking the spirit and festivity of Diwali to mark the milestone.

The Pride Park venue will celebrate on Saturday, November 14, with a grand event including three-course menu, Bhangra DJ and dancers, fire artists, and live dhol players.

Co-owner of the venue, Bhav Kumar said:

“We have a fantastic celebration evening planned that will really bring together everything we stand for… family, friends, great food and entertainment."

“Combined with the Diwali celebrations it also signals a bright future for the restaurant, our customers and our community.”

Tickets for the evening, the diner and celebration music and dancing are now on sale, but demand is already high.

Bhav said:

“We are so excited about the event and for our customers old and new to join us, but tickets are limited due to the capacity of the restaurant. Tickets are already being snapped up, and we are expecting a further surge in bookings as the date nears.”

Amid the preparations for the Grand 5th Anniversary celebration, Bhav and co-owner Sanj Kumar reflected on Nicco’s first five years and their plans for its future.

The city’s now renowned contemporary Indian -fusion restaurant and cocktail bar in Wheelwright Way opened on Tuesday, October 26, 2021. It was formerly the site of Chiquito restaurant which had closed when the chain went into administration in March 2020.

Sanj, who also owns and runs NK Motors in Derby and Nottinghamshire, had spotted and bought the Pride Park property after seeing it for sale on his drive home from the motor dealership.

After investing half a million pounds in the refurbishment of the building and its external landscaping, the couple opened the venue and named it after their son.

Sanj said:

"We always had ambitions to create a high-class contemporary restaurant. We set out to make Nicco’s an escape from the everyday chain restaurant."

“We created the interior design from scratch as part of a huge renovation, installed a state-of-the-art sound system and developed a menu that reflected our Indian heritage with a modern twist.”

Bhav says that she can pinpoint the key milestone that cemented the restaurant’s future success. She said:

“While our original vision was always to create somewhere that was more than just a restaurant, it was our very first New Year’s Eve event in 2021 that showed us the potential of Nicco’s. It made us realise that we could create experiences that went far beyond a traditional restaurant, offering great food, entertainment, and atmosphere all under one roof.”

Since then, the venue has held regular events including everything from bottomless brunches and beers to Salsa nights, After Hours events, school holiday kids eat free offers and even an upcoming New Year’s Eve Masquerade Ball.

The Grand 5th Anniversary and Diwali Celebration will showcase the fun, sophistication and festive spirit Nicco’s brings to every occasion, whether that is an intimate or a milestone celebration with family and friends.

Bhav said:

“As a family-run business, it is important to us to create a welcoming environment. Seeing our events grow and sell out has been incredible and it is amazing to see people return time and time again not just to eat, but to celebrate important moments and make memories."

“The community we’ve created around Nicco’s is one of the things I’m most proud.”

The Nicco’s team has also grown rising from 30 employees in 2021 to more than 70 today.

She said:

“What is particularly special is seeing how many people have grown with the business, developed their skills, and taken on more responsibility."

“Our success is a whole team effort. Everyone plays an important part in creating the experience our customers have.”

The couple have also secured approval from Derby City Council to extend Nicco’s dining and function space, with work due to begin in early 2027.

Sanj said:

“We’ve had a record-breaking year in terms of bookings, parties and innovative event planning and execution. However, we were turning a lot of booking interest away because we couldn’t cater for everyone, which was disappointing for both customers and the restaurant. The extension will allow us to accommodate more diners and private events.”

“We’re looking carefully at what the future could look like in terms of expansion. We don’t want to rush that, anything we do next needs to be right for the brand, our customers, and our team.”

Nicco's has also worked with YMCA Derbyshire to showcase the charity’s work and has supported celebrations for International Women’s Day.

“For us, success isn’t just about being busy, it’s about sharing our success with community ventures while creating somewhere that people value and want to be part of.

The couple said: “This anniversary is a really special milestone. The last five years have shown us what’s possible, so we’re really excited about what the next five could bring.”

Tickets for The Grand 5th Anniversary & Diwali Celebration on Saturday, November 14, cost £20 for entry followed by £35 for the three-course menu, £15 for children.

Nicco Restaurant and Bar is open daily from 10am to 11pm. Further details about events and menus are available here.