A business owner says Herne Bay is on the up amid huge interest among firms looking to move into his shop after a tattoo studio moved out.

Nejmi Hassan saw previous tenants Stavros Tattoos call time on a three-year stint in Bank Street in December and is now on the hunt for a replacement.

Mr Hassan, who is also the boss of popular ice cream parlour Makcari's, says he has been left “surprised” by the level of interest as possible businesses look to fill the gap.

He told KentOnline: “The level of interest has genuinely taken me by surprise.

“It’s really great to see that in these hard times, the town is still attracting interest from business owners and entrepreneurs.

“I really think Herne Bay is bucking the trend right now.”

Meanwhile, Dave Stavros, who runs Stavros Tattoos, has explained why he had to leave Herne Bay.

“It comes down to the cost of living crisis, so we’re choosing to downsize to a location closer to my home to help battle that,” said the tattoo artist.

“It was either stay in Herne Bay and have to raise prices for customers, which could cost us business, or move to Ashford and start afresh there.

“I’m so lucky to have such loyal customers, so I don’t want to alienate them by raising prices when times are hard for everyone.

“Tattoos are a luxury item, it’s so important to stay competitive and we’re really excited for our future in Ashford.”

He says his new studio in Wotton Road, Ashford, offers his business the best chance of surviving the current climate.

Mr Hassan, who was Dave’s landlord for three years, wished Stavros Tattoos the best.

“There’s no hard feelings at all, I want to look after my tenants' best interests and this clearly was the best choice for him,” he said.

“I will miss having him here and wish him all the best over in Ashford.

“Now it’s time to move forward, and fill the gap left with something that Herne Bay can really get behind.”

When asked who could potentially move in and when, Mr Hassan was keen to stress the importance of finding the right tenant.

He said: “For me, I don’t want to just fill the building with anyone. It has to be the right business and person.

“I’d love to see a start-up business come in and make this their first home or open it up myself and hire spaces out to companies.

“It’s not all about the money, there’s been loads of interest and so many different ideas are being suggested.”

“It really feels like a town that’s on the up..."

Speaking about the wider situation in Herne Bay, Mr Hassan says it is encouraging to see the seaside town holding its own against the likes of Whitstable and Tankerton.

“We really are competing with the more popular seaside towns and in my opinion that will only get better,” said the businessman.

“When we started to invest in Herne Bay 20 years ago, it wasn’t so much the place to be.

"There’s been a real transition over the years, and we’ve had money come into the town that wasn’t here 15 or so years ago.

“It really feels like a town that’s on the up.”

Herne Bay looks set to enter a period of transformation as other entrepreneurs look to make their mark on the town.

A La Turka boss Mehmet Dari previously shared his vision of a seafront rooftop restaurant in Central Parade, replacing the former Le Petit Poisson next to the pier.

He hopes the restaurant could open early this year, which comes after residents petitioned to support the businessman with his A La Turka business.

Along with this, the £250k pedestrianisation of Herne Bay’s seafront could take shape this year as the town waits on Kent County Council’s verdict on the scheme.

The plans would see a series of one-way systems introduced to the town and a seafront stretch of road between Pier Avenue and Station road closed to traffic.

The scheme caused controversy last year when it was announced, with the town divided on the matter.