A Caribbean restaurant owner says he will not move despite being evicted amid a rent row with the council.

The couple behind The Grub Hub, Iston Burrell and Patricia O’Donaghue, say Thanet District Council (TDC) increased their rent on Margate Harbour Arm by almost double.

The pair claim that after joining the tenancy association for fellow traders, they discovered their increase would be higher than other businesses on the same stretch.

A back and forth with the authority and a breakdown in communication followed and just after Christmas, the council served them a notice to leave by February 19.

Officers claimed this was due to the business owners “repeatedly rejecting” efforts to negotiate, the council said in a letter seen by KentOnline.

However, the restaurant owner states he wants negotiations to continue and does not want to be forced out of his unit.

Mr Burrell said: “I refused to pay the rent unless I was given a reason as to why mine was increased more than the rest.

“If it was increased the same as the rest, then I would have to work it out if I could afford it.

“I’ve asked them for an answer, but haven’t been given one.”

When approached, TDC said it could not discuss the terms of individual leases.

After opening in 2019, The Grub Hub was paying £420 per month inclusive of electricity and water under the spot’s previous owners.

TDC took over the Harbour Arm in 2021 and wrote up new lease agreements for all the tenants shortly after.

Despite their previous contract lasting until the end of February, Mr Burrell says they were instructed to pay £8,000 per year plus VAT – an increase of more than 58%.

Mr Burrell has kept the keys to the business and says the council will have to take him to court if they want to get him out.

“I'm not going to break the law,” the 64-year-old chef said. “If a judge says I've got to go - then I've got to go.

“But, I'd like to at least get in front of a judge before I do, if possible.

“My understanding now is if I'm on the premises, they cannot change the lock.

“They'd have to go back to court.

“There's a chance for me to try and make a difference too by taking a stand.

“I've got nothing else to do after this.”

The Grub Hub is the only black-owned business on the Harbour Arm, and Mr Burrell feels he has been “treated unjustly from day one”.

“I don’t know if it’s a coincidence, but every summer something happens which means I have to close for two or three weeks.

‘I’ve asked them for an answer, but haven’t been given one...’

“They told me I had to put in an application to change my use from A1 to A3 so that I could get an alcohol license, even though it was a pub before me and a restaurant before that.

“So that took weeks to sort out.”

But he has been thankful for support from his loyal clientele throughout the disagreements.

“My wife and I built this business up from the ground ourselves and it is really popular with the locals,” he added.

“They have a lot to say about the matter. I’ve had some of the biggest turnouts I’ve seen since we have been there.

“Sometimes the weather will be so bad water is coming over the roof and they still come here.”

‘The council has made various efforts with you to negotiate terms… which you have repeatedly rejected...’

Following the debacle, the business owner reports the council has been “almost impossible” to communicate with.

The eviction notice, seen by KentOnline, states: “The council has made various efforts with you to negotiate terms for a Lease for the Property which you have repeatedly rejected.

“The council recognises you have been occupying the property based on a Tenancy at Will.

“As a result, either party may terminate a Tenancy at Will at any time by giving immediate notice.

“Please take this letter as formal notice to terminate your occupation of the property. You are required to vacate the property on February 19, 2024.”

A spokesman for the local authority said: “The management of the Harbour Arm in Margate reverted to Thanet District Council in February 2021.

“Since then, new leases have been negotiated with the businesses operating there.

“The council does not disclose the terms of individual leases which are commercially confidential.”