'Living the dream' with Luckys Diner opening in Wokingham

A couple from Woodley with a huge passion for food have realised their dream of running their own business with Wokingham’s newest restaurant.

Venu Popuri and Swapna Inuganti celebrated the opening of Luckys Diner in Elms Walk on Monday 3 February.

Coming from a background of sales and IT respectively, Venu and Swapna say it is the strength of the menu that made them want to be a part of the Luckys team.

Swapna said: “This is our first time doing something like this, but we have always wanted to have a business of our own and today we are living the dream. Seeing the Luckys banner just makes me emotional. 

“When someone goes to a new place, they are probably looking for landmarks, but Venu and I are always looking for food. There is a particular reason why we have chosen this franchise and that is the menu. It caters to every single age group and we felt it was something that was missing locally.”

Hasan Habib is the owner of Luckys Diner, with the Wokingham branch being the biggest one to date, seating 100 customers and employing ten staff.

He wants to work with the local community as much as possible, from hosting charities and events, to how ingredients are sourced.

Hasan said: “We want to be the cornerstone of the community – it’s a big aspiration to have, but it is how we will measure our success. We have done all the recipes and how to improve our service, but what’s really going to bring this to life is what we are going to do for the community. We also want to work in collaboration with local businesses to help the economy, in terms of using local suppliers.

“It’s not just a franchise coming from north to south, there is a lot of work that has gone into this. Once we have got the community involved in what we are doing and worked in collaboration with the council, that’s when we will feel we have achieved what we set out to do. This is just the beginning. These guys have amazing plans and I have all the belief that you could have in them.”

Cllr Carol Jewell, the Deputy Borough Mayor, was invited to the opening night, where customers received a 20% discount on food and drink.

Cllr Jewell said: “Venu and Swapna have clearly done a lot of research about the local area and it is very reassuring to hear how much they want to see Luckys be involved in the wider community. 

“I loved the décor of the restaurant and it was lovely to be welcomed by the Luckys team on their special night. I wish them all the best for the future and look forward to seeing what they bring to the town beyond their amazing and varied menu.”

About Luckys Diner

The first Luckys Diner opened in Oldham in 2018 and there are now ten restaurants with the addition of Wokingham, which is the second to open in 2025. There are plans to open a further 27 branches this year.

The menu is varied, featuring burgers, wraps, steaks, grilled and fried chicken. There is a wide range of desserts and milkshakes and Luckys also has a licenced bar.

The restaurant is open from 12noon to 11pm, Monday to Thursday, and 11am to 11pm, Friday to Sunday, with takeaways also available.

The unit in Elms Walk is part of Wokingham Borough Council’s Elms Field town centre regeneration, which will soon see another addition in Opuz Kitchen & Bar, a Turkish grill and bar restaurant that currently has sites in Watford and Hemel Hempstead.