Prominent empty high street shops are set to get a new lease of life as a sushi restaurant and bubble tearoom.

Iro Sushi – which already has two branches in Kent – is set to take over the former Thomas Cook store in Canterbury.

Meanwhile, Canterbury City Council (CCC) approved planning permission to convert the former Boho Cafe Bar into a tearoom called Chiya Boba and Bingsu.

The two long-empty units are just a stone’s throw away from each other but are the latest addition to Canterbury’s thriving food and drink scene.

Iro Sushi operations manager Sultan Thakur says the new restaurant will open at midday on March 29.

Speaking of the opening day, he said: “The offers are 25% off the whole menu, £1 for a chicken katsu curry and a free sushi tester from midday to 2pm.”

It will join the two other Kent-based Iro restaurants in Maidstone and Dartford.

Iro Sushi was launched in 2014 by Chhong Sherpa and has more than 25 outlets across London and the south-east.

Meanwhile, the former Boho cafe is set to be converted into a bubble tearoom with a flat upstairs - but plans to see the dwelling turned into a house of multiple occupation (HMO) have been dropped.

Senior city councillor Michael Dixey previously told KentOnline the HMO proposals were “totally unsuitable” for the closed site and would be “out of keeping with the historic area”.

The high street business closed after struggling to stay afloat during the pandemic.

The Grade II-listed building was previously owned by the historic Eastbridge Hospital Trust, which sold it at auction in November 2022 for £400,000.

Boho went on the market again in 2023 and was sold at its guide price of £350,000.

Last year, a planning application was submitted to CCC for a change of use to convert the first and second floors into a three-bedroom HMO flat, while the ground floor would stay as a cafe, under the name Chiya.

The ground and first floors were previously used as a cafe by Boho, while the second is currently a flat.

Documents initially submitted to the city council stated: “The proposed change of use will not involve any major internal changes to existing structures.

“It will only include the addition of doors, furniture, appliances, light fittings, finishing, etc.

“So the proposed change of use of the first and second floor as an HMO will not alter or change the appearance of the building.

“The renaming, repainting and installation of small signage will freshen up the existing poor condition of the shopfront and will not be detrimental to the listed building or the conservation area.”

However, the city council confirmed the HMO element of the plans was dropped and the property is expected to become a private dwelling, now with only two bedrooms.

The proposal involves the conversion of the first and second floors to also provide a bathroom, kitchen/dining room area and lounge in addition to the two bedrooms.

A new decking area on the ground floor at the back of the cafe overlooking the River Stour has also been approved.

New signage at the front of the shop has also been agreed alongside listed building consent for all the works.

Boho Cafe Bar, which was a popular eatery and music venue, closed in July 2020 after being hit hard by lockdowns during the pandemic.

It had been a fixture on the high street, with one supporter describing it as “part of the furniture”.

Granting the application, a city council planning officer said: “With regards to repair works, these will be localised and focused upon damaged areas of the shopfront which, subject to matching materials being used, will not affect the special interest of the listed building.”