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Former NatWest bank in Whitstable could be turned into restaurant and bar
00:01, 10 January 2018
A High Street bank could be transformed into a "cool, laid-back" Mexican restaurant and cocktail bar.
Plans have been submitted for the site of the former NatWest bank, which closed its doors for good last year.
And if all goes to plan it could become a "high-end" venue also offering the chance to hold private functions in the former bank vaults.
NatWest shut the branch in June as part of a nationwide closure programme sparked by an increasing move to online banking services by customers.
Now it could be revived as a dining spot as early as May.
City council planners have received the plans submitted by husband and wife team Martin and Jo Smith.
They are looking to replicate the success of an existing restaurant they run in Hertford called Dirties.
Explained Mr Smith, 60: “We fell in love with Whitstable after our daughter moved here.
“Dirties prides itself on producing great value-for-money dishes, using only fresh ingredients, with a cool, laid-back atmosphere.
“It appeals to all age groups, especially for those looking for a non-chain high-end food operation, and those wanting quality wines, individual craft ales and beers, and a wide range of cocktails, spirits and tequilas.”
The restaurant would seat 50 diners in the main dining area, alongside a small cocktail bar.
The two original bank vaults would be converted into a private function room, while another would form a garden bar to service a small rear terrace.
The ATM at the front of the building will be removed and a fence installed at the rear to create the outside drinking area.
The couple, who moved to Whitstable two months ago, opened their Hertford eatery 18 months ago with two business partners who would be also be involved in this latest venture.
Iceni Projects, representing the Smiths and their business partners, added: “The proposed bar matches the continued growth of the town centre as an attractive destination for both the daytime and night-time economy.”
If planning and licensing applications are approved, the restaurant could be open by May.
