‘We were sold a dream, spent £1m - but it’s like a ghost town’

A restaurant boss says he is relocating the business because a council’s multi-million-pound leisure complex is like a “ghost town”. Sekkoya is moving into St Peter’s Street in Canterbury city centre after closing down at The Riverside, half a mile away in Kingsmead. One of the owners, Kirtan Patel, told KentOnline they had been “sold a dream” and spent more than £1 million fitting out the unit at The Riverside.

But he says there is “no footfall” there and the lack of trade has sparked their move to the former home of Gourmet Burger Kitchen. However, city council bosses point to other venues at Riverside - such as Boom Battle Bar - being a “massive success”. Two new businesses are set to open there in the coming weeks, which it is hoped will attract more visitors.



But Mr Patel told KentOnline: “It is very ghost towny, even in the evenings. “It was very tough. Our rent, rate and service charges were extortionate.

” He says it cost more than £1 million to fit out the Riverside restaurant as it was “shell-only”. “They sold us a dream and we were working on a deal [to move in there] since 2018,” he said. Mr Patel says they did not want Sekkoya to be “a destination venue”.

“Our reviews are good, our feedback is good but the location is not,” he said. “Business was tough as we couldn’t open in the day as there is no footfall. “It is a better location [in St Peter’s Street], and we have a lot more potential here.

“There is zero potential [at Riverside].” Mr Patel says he, along with other businesses at the complex, had crunch talks with Savills and Riverside’s asset managers to raise concerns about trading there, including not having free parking. The car park dropped in price this month – from £2.

70 to £1.90 – as part of efforts to “encourage use and help the businesses there”. A city council spokesman says while Sekkoya’s departure from Riverside was disappointing, it is “not that unusual on developments like this that some businesses simply can't make it work”.

He added: “In their comments to KentOnline they effectively admit to it being a bad business decision on their part to locate themselves there. "Having a pop at the council on the way out is pretty standard fare, but we strongly suspect their struggles actually stem from the quite scathing restaurant reviews they have received - including on the KM website - rather than any issues with Riverside.” Sekkoya received a poor review from The Guardian’s Grace Dent last April.

KentOnline visited a week later , and our reporter gave the food only two stars out of five. Bosses then revamped the menu, leaning more towards traditional Indian cuisine than its original pan-Asian offering. Sekkoya currently boasts a 4.

7-star rating on Tripadvisor and 4.6 stars on Google. A notice on the St Peter’s Street site states it will be relaunching on Tuesday.

Despite the restaurant’s exit, the city council insists it is an “exciting time” for Riverside. "Escape Hunt, Boom Battle Bar's sister company, is opening after a hugely successful launch of the Boom Battle Bar brand in 2023, demonstrating their confidence in the scheme,” he added. "The Curzon cinema continues to thrive and is reopening its outdoor cinema in May with a packed timetable of classic movies and kids' favourites through the summer months.

"From their comments, we doubt very much that Sekkoya are after any advice from us, but they'd do well to look at the massive success that Boom has been, as they've clearly shown that with the right marketing and the right offer, anything is possible. "We wish Sekkoya all the best in their new location." Jemma Stacey, asset manager at NewRiver - which manages Riverisde of behalf of the city council - said: “It is disappointing that Sekkoya have chosen to leave at what is a pivotal and exciting time for the scheme, but it creates a new opportunity to bring another complementary offer.

“Due to the sensitivities around Sekkoya’s decision to depart, we cannot provide further comment but wish the team, who are well-known locally, all the best.” Escape Hunt is set to open early next month in the unit left vacant by Riverside Social. Bosses at the complex have also welcomed Community Health and Eyecare (CHEC) in the unit neighbouring the Curzon.

The long-awaited refurbishment of Heavenly Desserts is underway after a fire forced it to close in January last year – though an opening date is yet to be confirmed. The turnaround to near-full occupancy is in contrast to struggles reported by the city council two years ago. Analysis showed the centre was missing out on £314,000 in rental income due to issues finding tenants and delays to the build being completed.

Construction of the complex, with 12 units and a car park underneath, cost taxpayers £23 million..