New Broadstairs restaurant & bar to feature suspended beach railway carriage
A seafood restaurant, bar and yoga studio is to open in an old seafront shelter and railway lift on one of Kent’s most popular beaches
Located in the derelict funicular on Viking Bay in Broadstairs, the venue - once restored - will be set over two storeys and feature a carriage suspended in the former cliffside tunnel.
Justin van Oortmerssen and Annita Gkioka, who own the boutique Funicular Coffeehouse next to the site, are the brains behind the ambitious plans.
The couple opened their original venture in 2018 after snapping up the shelter and toilets from Thanet council, which was selling off some of its assets.
It’s been a labour of love for the husband and wife, who did much of the work themselves to create what has since become a hidden gem in the town.
And now, they have won the backing of the council to create a new restaurant, bar and yoga studio next door.
Their aim is to bring the derelict cliffside railway - which previously took people down to the beach in a carriage - back into use, while celebrating its history.
The work will involve creating a two-storey building, incorporating the existing Victorian pillars following the demolition of the shelter’s roof.
Internal alterations will be carried out to the funicular station and railway to provide a suspended carriage, which will sit behind glazing in the tunnel and be lit up for all to see.
Justin and Annita say the development will hint at its past use, while bringing it “confidently into the present”.
“This will open up that area of the beach,” the couple said. “We want to create somewhere for the public - both locals and tourists - to look across the beach, enjoy good quality food, and good wine and beer.
“It will be relaxed, the kind of place you can turn up in your flip flops and t-shirt, you don’t have to dress in a certain way to come in - that’s the kind of the vibe we’re going for.”
They admit the location of their existing business the Funicular Coffeehouse is quite hidden and say they’ve had people struggling to find them in the past.
“The restaurant and yoga space will transform that area and open it up. The station is completely derelict and no longer operational, but we want to preserve the history of it.
“With the Funicular Coffeehouse we’ve reused and recycled what was there and we want to do the same thing here. This is about preserving the historical importance of the evolution that is Broadstairs.”
Major construction works aside, Justin and Annita say they will be doing most of the work themselves.
“It means time is not really on our side, but we did the work at the coffeehouse and we want to do the same here,” Justin said. “We’re hoping to start the development and restoration of the funicular at the end of this year. We’ll have to do it in the winter because it’s just so busy here in the summer.
“Then the construction of the restaurant and studio will be the following year.”
In their bid to Thanet council, they said the funicular station illustrates the evolution of Viking Bay and Broadstairs as a seaside resort and therefore should be restored and preserved for locals and tourists to enjoy.
They added that at least 15 people will be employed, including kitchen staff, waiters, bar staff and yoga instructors, and both parts of the business will run all year round.
They say they believe the bay is in need of new food establishments which cater for those who prefer healthier food choices and activities that promote well-being.
“It will enhance Viking Bay's reputation by replacing the eyesore of a site with a carefully designed space that will become a destination for visitors.”