THE long-awaited new East Beach cafes could be open by Easter, one of the new operators has revealed.

Daniel Levy is poised to finalise a lease on one of two eye-catching cafes which will have sweeping views of the estuary.

A second operator is said to be in talks with Southend Council to takeover the other café.

Both are nearing completion, with builders finishing the interior of the buildings ahead of them being fitted out by their new tenants.

The cafes form part of a £2million regeneration scheme and will feature sail-like canopies for outdoor dining, and could even be licensed to sell alcohol.

Mr Levy said he would give more information once he had signed on the dotted line.

He added: “It is going to be a café or restaurant that will be well-suited to the site, experience tells us that.

“Dogs will be welcome in the winter, and there will be ice creams.

“Everything will be ready for the summer season. I’m trying my hardest to get open for Easter. It might be mid-April.”

The work should have been completed in the autumn last year but was hit with delays in installing utilities.

John Lamb, Southend Tory councillor responsible for regulatory services, said: “The works to get mains power connected were completed in late 2023 and we are pleased that the contractor is now in the process of completing snagging works prior to handing over the units to the council towards the end of the month.

“The council has been actively engaging with the commercial market and the first potential tenant submitted a planning application for minor amendments last year. This was conditionally approved on December 20.

“We are expecting the tenant to be targeting a spring completion, but this will be a tenant-led activity. Positive discussions are continuing in regards to the second unit.”

The cafes are being built on the site of a former café which burnt down more than 20 years ago.

A toilet block on the beach, which includes a large greensward, has been renovated, and improvements have been made to a large car park area.

The cafes are in a staggered row and are designed with pitched green roofs, similar to nearby beach huts.