A “swanky” new smokehouse, bar and music venue has opened in a former diner after six months of renovations.

Businessman Dominic Browne took over the former Downtown Diner in Park Street, Ashford, in May as part of his vision to improve nightlife in the town.

When he first got the keys, the three-story building was in need of major structural repairs.

Now it is home to an 85-seater restaurant called DJB The Smokehouse - and a bar and DJ space upstairs known as DJB The Venue.

Mr Browne initially hoped to open a nightclub in the town after spotting a gap in the market but changed the concept after his nightclub bid was blocked by Ashford Borough Council (ABC).

The 22-year-old is looking forward to offering something “totally unique” to the town.

Mr Browne said: “There have been long extensive works and we have come across some challenges but we are finally here.

“I'm feeling great about it, I'm looking forward to bringing something new to Ashford and to the community.

“We changed the concept so we are the only smokehouse in Ashford and all our chefs have had specialist training from chefs from the United States.

“There are loads of restaurants in Ashford but there is nothing else like this - it really is unique.

“It's all locally sourced, grass-fed and really good quality.

“We have the food and restaurant for families, and we can host different events at the bar upstairs, so we have a centre for everything. It is the swankiest club in town.”

Both the restaurant and the bar upstairs opened for the first time on Halloween.

The venue has created up to 55 new jobs and has been decorated with dark colours carefully chosen to match a traditional smokehouse look.

While the building is most well-known as once being home to the Downtown Diner, it was more occupied by the Press Room Bistro and Po Thai Restaurant.

Mr Browne first submitted plans to open the nightclub in an empty unit in Elwick Place but later withdrew them amid concerns over potential disruption to the Travelodge hotel above.

He then hoped to open in the former Tile Giant unit in Mace Lane but the bid was rejected by the landlord.

After submitting plans for a third time at the current venue in Park Street, ABC refused the bid, citing concerns over anti-social behaviour in the area.

However, Mr Browne did not let the setbacks scupper his plans and came up with a new idea to get his vision off the ground.

Having sat empty for years, the building was in need of structural repairs and the layout inside has been redesigned.

The building - which is close to Ashford’s Wetherspoon pub – was initially set to be converted into seven flats after proposals were put to ABC in June 2022.

But a decision on the scheme was never made due to an environmental issue at Stodmarsh Nature Reserve near Canterbury which has been stalling housing developments across the county.

This delay to the project – submitted by applicant Oruc Gurkan – led to the empty restaurant going back on the market for £550,000 in August.

The new venue will be open from 12pm to 12am seven days a week.