£145,000 in Debt, Credit Cards, and a Restaurant That Shouldn’t Exist

In this episode of Minted Minds, I sit down with Shumel Deen, CEO and owner of Paparazzi Restaurant in Tamworth.Shumel opens up about what most people never talk about.Being £145,000 in debt.Using credit cards and loans to fund a vision.Betting everything on one restaurant in a town people said would never work.We talk honestly about the restaurant industry, pressure, staff, money, and why success is not supposed to feel comfortable. Shumel breaks down the real cost of building a premium restaurant, from £15,000 tables to spending tens of thousands on marketing, and why word of mouth matters more than anything else.We also get into a deeper conversation about values, including alcohol, risk, and the internal battles that come with running a business that’s already working.This episode is not motivation.It’s reality.If you are building a business, thinking of opening a restaurant, or feel pressure in silence, this conversation will hit home.Watch until the end.⸻Minted Minds is a podcast about entrepreneurship, mindset, and building something real in today’s world.This episode is brought to you by Zamani.A modern fragrance and lifestyle brand built on intention, discipline, and identity.Explore Zamani at https://byzamani.com