A street food restaurant in a town centre has been repossessed by the landlords.

A notice was placed on the door of the Mexicano, run by the owner of the neighbouring Rico Sabor tapas eatery, in Rochester High Street, on Monday (March 20).

Two weeks ago, workmen were seen emptying furniture and appliances from the premises which opened last June.

Chairs and tables were taken out of the property and stacked on the pavement opposite.

Further items of furniture have been stacked up inside the dine-in and takeaway venue.

Half-Spanish and half-Colombian owner Julian Ramirez opened the diner selling Mexican street food to eat-in or take out after the success in his business selling staple food from a street counter during lockdown.

To ensure he got the flavours right, the businessman visited the Latin American country several times to see what authentic food worked.

The closure of Mexicano comes after the landlords of the Rico Sabor branch in Dover served notice to leave the premises at the end of last month.

A sign on the door showed the owners had been handed a forfeiture notice following its sudden shutdown.

It warned that if the items inside were not removed they would be sold or disposed of.

Details of why the business was served the notice are not known.

Mr Ramirez came to England from Valencia, a Spanish town famed for its tapas, and cultivated his culinary skills in restaurant kitchens in London.

He and his wife Marcella opened their first Rico Sabor in Gravesend in 2016 offering Spanish and Mexican cuisine.

Three years later they opened the Rochester branch and in October 2021 he launched his third restaurant in Dover.

They have recently opened another outlet in Greenwich, south east London.

KentOnline has attempted to contact Mr Ramirez for comment.