A Brighton seafront restaurant will be allowed to reopen under new management after a formal review of the premises licence.
Sussex Police asked Brighton and Hove City Council to review the licence for Monarch, in King’s Road, Brighton, after staff called the police last month to help deal with a violent customer.
At a summary review, the restaurant was closed, having lost its licence for four weeks until a formal review to decide whether it would still be permitted to sell alcoholic drinks.
Police also cited seven incidents of crime and violence in the area from April to October last year.
Yesterday (Tuesday 21 February) a council licensing panel, made up of three councillors heard that the premises landlord, Andrew Cheesman, 56, had held talks with Sussex Police licensing officers.
They had provisionally agreed revised licence conditions before the review hearing – and the panel agreed that the venue could reopen next month with different management.
The premises, previously known as Buddies, will become Malika, an Indian restaurant with no links to Monarch and its owner Sunset Brighton Limited.
Malika is expected to operate as a café during the day, with alcohol available from 10am to 5pm, and substantial food available at all times.
The venue would close at 5pm, reopening at 5.30pm, under “restaurant conditions”, limiting alcohol sales to customers buying a full meal, closing at midnight. Customers must be served at tables.
The licensing panel was told that the site was undergoing refurbishment and that Sunset Brighton’s director Ellis Cheesman, 22, resigned after the police closed the venue last month.
Mr Cheesman’s former business partner Stephen Darby, 62, resigned as a director of Sunset Brighton last September.
Andrew Cheesman was the designated premises supervisor (DPS) but he would step down from his licensing role with a new business running the site.
In a decision letter, the panel – councillors Chris Henry, Clare Moonan and Anne Pissaridou – said that the venue could reopen under new management with shorter hours and tighter conditions on Monday 6 March.
Andrew Cheesman said: “I’m pleased the work we put in with Sussex Police has resulted in a quick decision from councillors.
“It was time to end the all-night business and start afresh with the great team at Malika taking over in March.”
