Friday’s hearing followed a raid by ICE officers at Yakamoz in September last year which found a man was working there illegally.
Checks found he had entered the UK in 2023 and had never had any legal right to work in the country.
The restaurant’s previous operator, Yakamoz York Ltd, went into liquidation in July owing £60,911, according to Companies House, including the £45,000 fine issued by the Home Office which remains unpaid.
Irani said the prospect of losing the licence had made his staff uncomfortable and caused customers to question whether the restaurant was staying open.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “When we received the letter about the hearing, it was really embarrassing. I consider myself professional.
“I felt very relieved and happy with the decision which recognised it had nothing to do with me.
“The place has changed completely since we took over. We check all our workers and keep all the records we need to.
“We’re law-abiding people, so we take this very seriously.”
