The company behind the Cosy Club chain has revealed the opening date for its fifth Kent branch in an abandoned cinema.

Calvero Lounge, part of the Loungers group, will open on the ground floor of the Embassy Building in Tenterden high street.

The venue is set to welcome guests for the first time early next year as part of the group’s rapid expansion plans and will fill the gap left by M&Co, which closed in 2022 after the firm was plunged into administration.

The Embassy was built shortly before the Second World War broke out but closed in 1969, leaving the town cinema-less ever since.

But the striking building will soon be back in use when Calvero Lounge opens in January for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and drinks and is said to be creating about 40 jobs.

Bosses say particular attention will be paid to families and the community, with space for locals to have catch-ups, meetings and events, from business networking to book clubs.

Gemma Irwin, head of community at Loungers, said: “We’re so looking forward to opening the doors of Calvero Lounge next year.

“We hope our family-friendly environment and top-notch food and drink offering will prove popular with local residents.

“We’re passionate about integrating genuinely into the communities we serve so we’re looking forward to meeting everyone and to playing our part at the heart of Tenterden’s food and drink scene.

“Anyone looking for a space to host events or groups should pop in once we are open; we’d love to hear from them and see what we can do to help.”

Signs announcing the Loungers licensing bid appeared in the Embassy Building's window in July. The firm hopes to serve alcohol from 10am until midnight daily and late-night refreshments between 11pm and 12.30am.

The new application confirms the building will now be shared between Loungers on the ground floor and Rockits Sensory above.

It was previously reported that Rockits needed to raise £20,000 to kit out the larger site, a goal they passed earlier this year by raising more than £25,000.

The sensory room, run by Beth Whatman, currently occupies a small site on the town’s high street, who admitted the expansion was a big step forward.

Loungers, which describes its venues as “informal café bars”, has more than 200 across the country.

The chains has already launched Acordo Lounge in Deal, Riparo Lounge in Westwood Cross, Sentado Lounge in Sittingbourne and most recently, Leo Lounge in Faversham.

The parent company also owns Cosy Clubs and opened one in a former fabric store in Canterbury city centre in 2022.

It is estimated that a new Loungers restaurant will open in the UK every 10 days as the firm's bosses look to capitalise on the success of the 22-year-old business.