I'm hoping to bring something different to this well-known Sunderland street
“When I moved to Sunderland, I fell in the love with the city and its history and wanted to honour that in the name of my business,” says the co-owner of a new venture on a well-known local high street.
Hylton’s has opened its doors on the corner of Hylton Road.
In the shadow of the Riverside car park and the soon-to-open Riverside Park and Eye Hospital, it’s a site passed by thousands every day.
And Dardan Haklaj, who has opened the new cafe and grill with business partner Gazi Kuca, says they’re hoping to bring a new offering to the area.
Dardan said: “I moved to Sunderland four and a half years ago and started working at Nissan and I fell in love with the city and its history, especially its shipbuilding and football history. My son was born here and he’s a real little Mackem.
“After Nissan, I worked as a taxi driver, but me and my business partner decided we wanted to do something for the city and decided to open a coffee shop with a charcoal grill and Mediterranean offering.
“With the name, we wanted to honour the history of the area and the street so called it Hylton’s.”
So far, the new venture is offering options such as lamb chops, smash burgers, mixed grills, baguettes and shish options.
Moving forward, Hylton’s will be branching into breakfasts, including a Balkan breakfast offering and classic full English.
Speaking about the response so far, Dardan said: “We’ve only been open a couple of weeks, but people seem to like it so far, especially our coffee, which is Italian Rossini brand.”
He added: “This is a great spot on a busy street with lots happening, especially when the hospital opens, and we want to help it get busier.”
*Hylton’s, Hylton Road, is open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm.