Restaurant-goers wanting something different to the usual franchise chains are the target of a couple who are setting up in business together.

If all goes to plan, Clarry’s could be welcoming diners by the end of the month.

Owned by Claire Dangar and Barry Whitehead, hence the name, the Station Street venture in Sittingbourne is their first as a couple, having been together less than a year.

Claire, 33, explained: “Last year we were trying to find somewhere to eat that was a bit different.

“We noticed a gap in the market when we realised we had to go
20 minutes or half an hour for somewhere that’s not mainstream.”

The 54-seat restaurant will have a full breakfast, lunch and dinner menu, serving everything from Mediterranean cuisine to steaks and salad.

Barry, also 33, is from Iwade and runs Complete Cellar Services, a company supplying beer taps and bar refrigeration, so has some industry experience.

Claire said she hoped the new businesses coming to Sittingbourne as part of its multi-million pound regeneration would attract more potential customers to the area.

“We’ve had the keys since December and have been making it our own since,” she added.

“The building has a lot of history. I remember when I was young and it was a stationery shop.

“Since then it’s been the air ambulance shop, a charity shop, a secondhand furniture shop, and now we’re making it into a restaurant.”

It will have a modern look – decked out in concrete, wood and copper, along with splashes of colour.

Customers will be mainly seated on benches with brushed metal tables. There will also be the option of just popping in for drinks at the bar.

Claire, who works for Eurolink-based Gallery Direct, said having fresh local produce was a priority.

She said: “We want to have quite a mix of food there too, all made in-house. We’re really excited but the closer it gets, the more nervous you get. It’s been a hard slog but it is really exciting.”

The pair are recruiting bar, waiting and kitchen staff, as well as a general manager, to help in the restaurant, alongside their head chef who has 25 years experience. To apply, email your CV to info@clarrys.co.uk