A seafront cafe that has been closed for two years is set to become a burger and ice cream parlour.

Westgate-on-Sea restaurant tycoon Paul Glicksman has bought the former Marina Cafe in Margate and hopes to reopen it as Marina’s.

The 62-year-old ventured into the hospitality industry in 2018 after retiring and has a reputation for transforming venues, such as Frederick’s Tearooms and St Mildred’s Bay bistro, both in Westgate.

With renovations well underway, Mr Glicksman hopes to have Marina’s, in Marine Drive, open early next year.

The former motor home dealer said: “It is an amazing seafront location that has sold ice creams for years and I see massive potential in it.

“That parade of shops is really going somewhere with new places opening and I feel I can do something really good for Margate.

“We are going to continue with the ice creams and sundaes and we have an amazing new chef coming on board.

“We will do some gastro burgers and have a good quality menu, but it won't be massive.

“A burger and ice cream parlour is what we will focus on and we will build on it from there.”

Marina’s plans to sell Mr Whippy ice cream, but the shop will have exclusive use of high-end Movenpick ice cream in the seafront area, Mr Glicksman says.

The businessman is not worried about opening an ice cream bar in the town, where there are at least three others.

He said: "It's the best ice cream you can buy so we think the competition will be fine. We will also be doing upmarket sundaes which nobody else nearby does."

After receiving the keys last month, Mr Glicksman started stripping out the old ceilings and floors.

While carrying out extensive renovations, he hopes to keep the retro theme from before.

Eventually, he aims to secure an alcohol licence for the venue, and have a bar there too.

In 2021, St Mildred’s Bay opened as a glass-fronted restaurant and wine bar after Mr Glicksman transformed the former Pav’s building, investing £200,000.

At one point, his plan was at risk of being scuppered due to a licensing condition which meant he could only serve alcohol to people having food at a table, instead of customers just after a drink or a takeaway beverage.

Mr Glicksman’s application to Thanet District Council to change this was met with fierce opposition by residents who feared the café would attract noise and trouble.

But the committee agreed to the removal of the condition with the added restriction that takeaway drinks, in plastic cups, would stop being sold at 10pm every night.

In July last year, Mr Glicksman opened the Spitfire Cafe in Manston, previously called The Spitfire.