Costa is to take over a site formerly occupied by Lloyds Bank.

Construction is currently underway in the unit formerly on Cheriton High Street.

Planning documents submitted to Folkestone and Hythe District Council in 2018 sought permission to turn the old bank into a mixed class coffee shop, including the conversion of part of the rear ground floor to a two-bed flat.

The application was submitted by the Goldex Investment Group Ltd, which is "the largest Costa Coffee franchise in the UK", according to its website.

It currently trades 70 stores across Kent, Essex, Surrey and Sussex.

The company is also advertising for a barista, a store manager and an assistant store manager on Google.

Speculation about what might move into the empty shop appeared on social media.

One user confirmed: "It’s definitely Costa.

"I peeked in the window yesterday and there are lots of Costa signs/boards."

A spokesman for the Goldex Investment Group Ltd said todaythat it hopes to open the new store "sometime in June".

Costa has another cafe in Folkestone, two miles away in Sandgate Road.

Head to our business page for all of the latest news about businesses in Kent

Read more: All the latest news from Folkestone