Rising rents hit Brighton's 'restaurant road'

11:30am Friday 18th April 2008

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A street once alive with thriving restaurants now presents a very different picture.

A short walk down Preston Street in Brighton reveals there are 12 restaurants for rent or sale. A former Pizza Hut stands empty.

Traders believe worse is to come and predict more businesses will pull out of the spot once known as "the street of a thousand restaurants".

But Brighton and Hove City Council said the restaurateurs needed to "raise their game" if they wanted to succeed.

The rise of Church Road in Hove and pedestrianised areas in the centre of Brighton are in stark contrast to the run-down feel of what was once a premier dining area.

Traders in Preston Street said high rents meant the road had "had its day".

The boarded-up premises are a far cry from just a few years ago when it was a hive of activity day and night.

Jim Petfield, who owns Thai Orchid, and said ever-increasing rents, overheads and other costs were to blame.

He also accused the council of not doing enough for the area.

He said: "You're looking at about £120,000 for the lease then more than £30,000 rent for some of the premises.

"The rents are too high and there's not enough trade down there to keep people above water."

Mr Petfield's rent went up by more than 25% in a recent review but he said there were other reasons for the changing face of the street.

He said: "The council hasn't done anything with the area. Preston Street is a bit of a jewel but the council doesn't do anything with developing it.

"The one thing we have got coming is the Brighton Eye but that's another couple of years away.

"It's a struggle and it's a shame the council doesn't do more because it's a fantastic area. It has totally rejuvenated The Lanes."

Mr Petfield, who does not draw a wage from his restaurant, said he was being squeezed from all sides and business was down an estimated 20% on last year.

Stella Paldano, who owns Dig In The Ribs, expected more traders to disappear within months. She said one lasted just 12 weeks.

She said: "Everybody is finding it very quiet. This street has had its day and if we can't do something it's finished. It seems to have lost all its prestige.

"At weekends we are busy like everybody else but during the week it sucks.

"Even on New Year's Eve the road was literally empty. It is sad because it's people's livelihoods."

Bashir Meah, owner of Bombay Indian Cuisine, said everyone in Preston Street was struggling.

He said nothing would change until the West Pier area was developed and the future of the Brighton Centre was settled.

He said: "Unless something happens at the seafront it's going to go down and down and it will be very difficult for people to survive in the area."

But a spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said there was no longer one specialist restaurant street and that did not mean the demise of the city's dining scene.

He said: "While there is this coincidence of closures in Preston Street, the catering sector in the city is still incredibly vibrant.

"There are some very smart mid-priced new places and these will put pressure on the longer-established ones.

"They may need to raise their game or fall from favour.

"There has been massive and successful regeneration of the seafront on their doorstep from which restaurants with the right products and prices could benefit."

Have you cut back on eating out? Where are the best restaurants?