A famous nightclub will be transformed into the swanky new home of popular Southend restaurant Mangetout.

The restaurant is moving from its Chichester Road home to nearby Churchills, in Tylers Avenue, where a new barbecue restaurant and cocktail bar will be created.

Mangetout, run by brothers Will and Frank Fishenden, will offer three times as much space as its current home, and will create up to 30 jobs.

The new venue, expected to be ready by early March, will be open until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays and feature live bands as the brothers venture into offering people alternative nightlife in Southend.

Will, 27, said: “One of the things that attracted us to Churchills was that it was an iconic venuewith a lot of history, and we want to bring it back to its former glory.

“For a lot of people, if they don’t want to go to a club, but want to drink late at night, their only option is the casinos, so we want to offer them something different.

“It will have a rustic look and we’ll have live blues and jazz bands on every weekend. If you could imagine that music in the background whilst having ribs and a nice cocktail – that’s where I’d want to eat.”

The venue will have a cocktail bar on site, and it will expand on Mangetout’s existing menu, which features a variety of steaks, burgers and ribs.

Food will be smoked in-house.

Since announcing the move, the brothers have already been handed 52 CVs frompeople wanting to work there and had three inquiries about holding weddings there.

In total, their new venue, which will keep the Mangetout name, will cater for 200 people and will use an outdoor area in the summer with live bands and barbecues.

Frank, 28, who has a background in finance, said: “It will be pumping out there in the summer.

“It’s been our dream to go into business together and we’re really passionate about making this work and taking the business to another level.”

Churchills, a mainstay in Southend for more than two decades, closed down four days ago, but the building had been on the market since June.

Mike Gray, of Dedman Gray, which sold the venue’s lease to the brothers, added: “There was a lot of interest, but we selected them on their successes and commitment to offering customers the best.

 

'Sad day' as Churchills closes down

A Southend nightclub veteran said it is a “sad day”Churchills has closed in the town centre.

Dick de Vigne, who owns Dick de Vigne’s, in the town centre, admitted nightclubs are having to up their game in the face of dwindling demand.

He said: “It is a sad day because it used to be the club to go to in Southend years ago, the centre of the town’s entertainment.

But now it has ebbed off a bit in the last few years and I think it needs a re-think.

“It’s a lot harder now, and a lot more nightclubs in Southend have a harder job on their hands to get people into their venues – only the strongest survive.”

Richard Shea, who owns the building, tried to sell it for £1.3million, but struggled to attract a buyer as it wasn’t a “traditional” nightclub.

Churchills, which has been a popular haunt for revellers in Southend for a number of years, was a combination of a restaurant, a bar and a club.

Mr Shea owns Mayhem nightclub, in Warrior Square, and Tiger Lilly bar, in Leigh Road, Leigh.

He admitted last year he was struggling to make a profit from his venues.

He said: “It didn’t suit what they were doing. The company was more interested in the traditional discotheques.

“It was interested in that type of business, so we got it out of the lease early and got in Mangetout, which is a bonus because it’s a class establishment.

“It’s very popular in Southend, and has got some exciting plans for the unit.

“We wish it well.”