A pan-Asian restaurant that occupies a large town centre site is set to close next month.

Residents have expressed their sadness as the family-run Cocomee will shut on Saturday, November 2, leaving a “big empty building” on the corner of Castle Hill Avenue and Bouverie Road West in Folkestone.

A staff member told KentOnline today that the business had been “struggling” and the owners plan to move back to Malaysia.

The site was formerly home to Kalala, which included a popular all-you-can-eat buffet.

On its website, Cocomee describes itself as a “Malaysian-Chinese family-run restaurant committed to bringing authentic and exciting Southeast Asian dishes to Folkestone”.

The venue has a rating of 4.5 on Tripadvisor and has been described as providing “affordable and amazing food”.

The prime site sits opposite Tesco Express and is just a two-minute walk from the high street.

Customers have expressed their sadness at the closure.

Sarah Jane Taylor wrote on social media: “Oh that's very bad news, we've had lovely meals out there.

“It is a huge space though. The overheads must be massive.”

Dave Macdonald added: “That’s sad. It’s one of the better places to eat in the area.”

Teresa Hopkins commented: “Had a bottle of Prosecco, bento box and pudding for only £55 for two people. I’m gutted. It’s going to be another big empty building.”

Another site that has long been unoccupied is the former Bank Bar, located below Cocomee.

In 2018, the district council stripped the bar of its licence following a string of residents’ complaints.

An investigation by the local authority the previous year ruled Bank Bar was unlawful after promoters advertised it online as a nightclub.

In 2020, the former owner of the site, George Lim, lost an appeal to run the former late-night hot spot as a separate venue to his restaurant.