Taco Bell can offer deliveries until 3am but dine in and takeaway collections will have to finish slightly earlier.
The branch in London Road, Brighton, owned by Karali QSR Limited, the country’s biggest Taco Bell operator, originally applied to allow customers to eat in until 2.30am daily, followed by a 30-minute dispersal period.
At a Brighton and Hove City Council licensing panel hearing on Monday 2 November, the company amended its application, seeking approval for takeaways until 3am, alongside its existing 3am delivery licence.
Sussex Police objected to the later takeaway time but the force was less resistant to dine-in trade because management would have more control over those customers.
Before the hearing, the police said that crime figures in the area were high, with 496 incidents reported within 650ft (200 metres) of the branch over a year, including violence, anti-social behaviour, public order offences and criminal damage.
Karali QSR’s solicitor Alex Green offered more safeguards to prevent issues including at least two door staff from 10pm daily for the first two months of late operation and hosts to manage delivery drivers.
After the hearing, the panel – councillors Julie Cattell, Andrei Czolak and Ivan Lyons – decided to permit takeaway collections and dine-in trade until 2am on Saturday mornings and Sunday mornings and until 1am from Monday to Friday.
The council agreed that two door staff should be deployed daily from 10pm until closing time for two months and then one member of door staff should be on duty from midnight until close.
The council said: “The panel take seriously the police concerns about the risk that takeaways pose and where customers may consume the food in open spaces such as The Level which is a challenging area.
“It also acknowledges the robust set of conditions offered by the applicant including enhanced door supervision for the first two months and the designated delivery host.
“The panel considers that the robust conditions offered justify a further departure from (council policy) but not until 3am.”
