‘They've got to make a living’: Alcohol, curry commerce and pragmatic piety on Brick Lane

Serving alcohol is haram (forbidden) in Islam, yet most Bangladeshi‐owned curry restaurants on Brick Lane hold alcohol licences. This article examines how hospitality entrepreneurs navigate this apparent contradiction through what it terms ‘pragmatic piety’, meaning flexible accommodations that balance Islamic principles, commercial imperatives and izzat (honour). Drawing on ethnographic research from the Brick Lane‐Banglatown project (2018‐2024), it traces a pronounced north‐south spatial divide in the area's drinking cultures and contrasting business models, from licensed restaurants that foreground food to alcohol‐free cafés. Life‐course shifts, including post‐ Hajj observance, often intensify personal piety without ending alcohol sales, especially in partnerships where responsibility can be diffused. These negotiations unfold amid gentrification pressures and evolving consumption patterns that increasingly threaten the curry economy itself.