National Film Award winning popular actor Riaz has involved himself in a brand new project, one quite different from the projects he usually takes. This time, Riaz has gone into the restaurant business with his newly-opened dining restaurant named ‘Food 24×7’ in Jagannath Road in the capital’s Bashundhara area. The launching ceremony of the restaurant was held on Saturday, which was attended by Mahmoud Ezzat, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to Bangladesh and Frederic Jeanjean, the second secretary of Commonwealth of Australia to Bangladesh as guests, among others. Riaz spoke about the reason behind his latest venture and future plans, “When I suffered a heart attack recently and after I recovered, all I kept thinking was what would have happened to my wife and child, if I did not survive?  What would happen if the earnings from my acting would be spent? I have not done anything from which my family can get by during my absence. Ever since I recovered, the financial security of my family was the main concern. That is why, after discussing with a few friends, the decision to get into the restaurant business was made.”
Riaz continued, “The people of Dhaka are accustomed to eating at restaurants due to the hectic day to day schedule. However, nowadays, people are nervous about eating outside food as many well known restaurants and eateries are being fined heavily for not following the hygiene standards and serving stale items. These types of stories are also making the news. That is why, I thought of getting into this type of business.” “The restaurant will remain open for 24 hours and will focus on the hygiene factors. Chef Tony Khan, one of the most renowned chefs around, will be in charge of supervising the food and I myself will be there as a director and oversee the other aspects. To ensure that the customers are getting the very best, a CC camera will be placed in the kitchen and to ensure the customers’ confidence and faith, they will be able to see what is going on in the kitchen. We will try to cater to the various eating habits of the people of Dhaka.  The pricing is also such that it is affordable for the people who want to enjoy a meal there”, he added
To note, Riaz suffered a heart attack recently during the shooting of a film titled ‘Krishanpakkha’ directed by Meher Afroz Shaon. Besides presenting various programs and working in tele-dramas and films, Riaz now has become a restaurant entrepreneur.l