The owner of a new Turkish restaurant hopes to bring a “taste of London to Kent” following a £500,000 revamp.

Amir Jani has spent the last two months completely refurbishing an empty unit in Medway Valley Leisure Park, Strood, vacated by Chiquito, into the new chain restaurant Turkuaz.

He previously worked in Gokyuzu, a popular Turkish eatery in the capital, but has now decided to open his own branch of Turkuaz in Kent.

Amir told KentOnline: “We have completely changed it from what it was.

“I have the best chefs and a good team. We are excited to get it open and welcome our first customers.

“What we are going to do here I do not think anyone is doing in the county. We plan to bring the taste of London to Kent.”

The restaurant, opposite Cineworld, has undergone a half-a-million-pound makeover including flower walls and light fixtures, new interior, paintwork and most importantly will feature an open kitchen.

Amir, who hopes to one day expand further into Kent, added: “It is important to have an open kitchen so customers can see the food we are cooking and how it is being prepared.

“It is really important and people love it. It is about trust, they need to trust the food. It is that simple.

“There are a lot of Turkish restaurants around so you need to have good food, service and quality.

“You need to look after your customers and they will keep coming back.”

The branch, in Chariot Way, will be able to seat around 220 people including in the main dining area, conservatory and garden.

Turkuaz, which has a few branches across the country, offers authentic Turkish cuisine including hot and cold meze, sharing platters, pide (Turkish pizza), wraps and kebabs.

It will also have a cocktail menu, wine list, milkshakes and Turkish coffee.

Turkuaz will be open by the end of the month.