HE is the entrepreneur aspiring businessmen and women look up to and everything he touches turns to gold.

But even Luke Johnson's wealth of experience and savvy business knowledge was not enough to save his Brighton cocktail bar and nightclub Dirty Blonde.

The owner of Brighton Palace Pier told The Argus he has closed the venue because it was making a loss - despite occupying a prime city location in East Street.

Named after a cocktail popular in New York’s meatpacking district, it was opened in March 2014 by Mr Johnson's Eclectic Bars group.

It now forms part of his The Brighton Pier Group but that has not been enough to save it.

He said: "We have taken the decision to close the venue as it was not commercially viable.

"We remain committed to Brighton but this location and brand did not work for us."

The bar was a major investment in the city with Johnson spending more than £1 million on the 300-capacity venue prior to its opening.

The vision was to end the idea that dinner and drinks are separate entities.

At the time, Lee Nicholson, operations director, said: "In England you might go for some food and then go home. It’s rare to go for a meal and stay for drinks after.

"Here your food gets taken away then the premium vodka might come out and you can stay drinking and dancing until 2am."

At the upstairs bar, they claimed to be able to make any cocktail, as well as their own 35 specialities.

The menu took inspiration from The Big Apple and there were multiple rooms with plush booths.

But it is clear Dirty Blonde was not to Brightonians' tastes as they sought out rival venues on nights out.

It is the first major disappointment for Mr Johnson since he bought Brighton Palace Pier for £18 million in April.

Last month it was announced his Brighton Pier Group PLC, which includes the pier as well as bars in the city such as Coalition and LolaLo, turned a profit after a loss in 2015.

The company's share price also climbed from 60p a share at the start of the year to more than 130p by October.

Johnson welcomed the figures but said it was only the beginning of a successful future for his business ventures in Brighton.