A RESTAURATEUR says he is moving away from fine dining because it doesn’t work in Southend.

Servet Kilic, who runs Mediterranean restaurant the Lemon Tree, in Southchurch Road, Southchurch, is to rebrand his business as an Italian eatery called Il Palazzo.

He has run the restaurant for five years, but says he only gets people in for special occasions.

His new restaurant will open early next month and be aimed at customers on smaller budgets.

Mr Kilic said: “If you look at all the places in Southend that you could consider fine dining, they don’t survive.

“That tells me there’s a change in the economy and a change in people making decisions on where to eat, perhaps because of their budgets.

“Because we’ve marketed ourselves as a fine dining restaurant, we seem to only get people in for special occasions.”

The Lemon Tree closed on Sunday and Mr Kilic will spend the next three weeks carrying out a £40,000 revamp. He hopes to have his Italian venture open to take advantage of Valentine’s Day trade.

The new Italian will be open all day, will create ten jobs, and have its own specialist Italian chefs, serving up traditional cuisine.

Mr Kilic revealed the new restaurant will be slightly bigger than the Lemon Tree, with a new bar and more rustic decorations.

He added: “It will have a relaxed atmosphere, rather than a formal one, and we’ll be open for longer, so families can come in during the day.

“We are going for a change in concept, and that’s not just the menu. We’re very excited about this and there is a demand for this type of restaurant that isn’t too pricey and we’re geared up to deliver it.”

Fellow Southchurch Road trader Paul van Looy, who opened up American-style Grumpy’s Diner last year, wished him well.

He said: “I wish him all the best. People are looking for something a bit different in Southend for food and I think he’ll do well.”

‘Stick with the chipies’

THE man who succesfully imported the taste of Amerca to Southend says the area doesn't fit in with fine dining.

Tony Cox, who owns Bobby Jo's diner in Marin Parade, has successfully traded on the seafront for five years, and says Leigh is better suited to high-calibre cuisine.

He said: "I don't think central Southend is necessarily the place for fine dining, least of all the seafront, which is for fish and chip outlets.

"OK, we're a little different in what we do - we provide quality food at a good price, but we're not find dining and we're very family friendly."

Fellow seafront trader George Zinonos, who runs Ye Old Chippy in Marine Parade, is unsure Southchurch Road is the best place for fine dining.

He said: "I'm not sure opposite a petrol station and a row of takeaways is the right location for a fine dining restaurant.

"Places like Leigh do it well, and if the Marine Parade development happens, that will bring quality restaurants to the area too."

 

THESE ARE STILL ALIVE

 THE Lemon Tree might be closing down, but here’s some other options for fine dining:

The Roslin, Thorpe Bay

The Boatyard, Leigh

Pipe of Port, Southend

Bourgee, Southend

Mangetout, Southend

Toulouse, Westcliff

Ocean Beach, Southend

La Cucina, Leigh

Nuvo, Leigh

Rococo, Leigh

The Palm Restaurant, Leigh