Independent carpet retailer Mike’s Carpets is to relaunch under a new lease of life following the collaboration of two brothers to bring back an ‘iconic’ Leeds store.
Furkan and Urfan Sharif have taken over the 12,000sqft store on Branch Road in Armley that was once the former Mike’s Carpets store owned by well-known local businessman Mike Smith.
More recently, the store was called M&C Carpets but was put on for let during July this year.
Brothers Furkan and Urfan decided to take on the property and launch under the Mike’s Carpet name in tribute to Mike, who still owns the building, after meeting with him and securing approval to use the old name.
The new store, which opened on 6 September 2022, features a video of old clips from the adverts that the former business used to run in its entrance, which the new owners remember fondly watching as children.
They said: “This property popped out of the blue one day and we just felt something inside that it would be amazing. We used to watch the adverts all the time as kids – they were on between Emmerdale and on Yorkshire TV. I got in touch with the landlord immediately.
“The adverts were really loud and colourful – Mike was a proper salesman and the adverts were constant for years. He was synonymous with the area and became a bit of a local icon. They were definitely part of our childhood.”
The brothers have spent the last four months refurbishing the Grade II listed building ahead of its official opening.
