A FAMILY-run restaurant above the Westcliff Arches has been forced to temporarily close after being hit with £40,000 worth of flood damage.
Prowse, on Shorefield Road above the arches, only opened its doors six months ago and has been a huge hit ever since specialising in a mix of British and Turkish cuisine.
However, the owners have now been forced to rip out the entire restaurant after it was severely flooded due to a burst pipe.
Owner, Cat Prowse, fears the repairs will cost roughly £40,000 and is facing a race against time to re-open this Saturday and get back to business.
Cat said: “We are devastated.
“We have found out it was a historic problem. The flooding was a pipe upstairs and because the building is so old, all the pipes need changing and the floor excavating.
“It is so hard as a new business.
“The main restaurant floor, toilets, and kitchen were flooded. All the flooring has had to be ripped up as the beams were rotten.
“As you can imagine it is a very stressful time.
“The only positive thing is that when we removed a wall, we found a beautiful old fireplace that had been boxed up, so we are keeping it.”
The restaurant, which replaced the former Flying Pasta, is now undergoing major repair work and bosses are confident it will re-open on Saturday.
Despite the devastation, Cat is using it as an opportunity to give the restaurant a “facelift” with new tables, chairs and flooring.
Cat also issued a heartfelt thank you to customers who have been “incredibly supportive” since the restaurant opened last August.
The family were also touched after a customer, who is a local builder, offered his spare time to help with any repairs.
Cat added: “It has been so positive and gone from strength to strength.
“It has been long hours but so worth it.
“We will be open for a relaunch on Saturday, and we would love people to come down and support us.
“The restaurant will have had a facelift, new tables and chairs, new flooring and bathrooms too.”
Prowse serves various seafood dishes, steaks, as well as Turkish specialities. with an emphasis on barbecue grill.
The restaurant is open seven days a week from 12pm to 11pm.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article