Authentic Worthing business looking for new premises after closure of popular restaurant

Aunty Bunny’s Hut, which offers a ‘fusion’ of Caribbean and Spanish street food, served customers from its restaurant in Montague Quarter, Liverpool Road for the final time on Saturday, June 3.

The decision was made for a multitude of reasons – mainly the ‘unrealistic’ costs involved.

Barry Antrobus, who owns the business with his wife Isabel Gonzalez, said: “Especially where we were based, the rent was very tight.

"We had a lot of staff to pay and we have been trying to survive. Whether we were full or not, the numbers we sold our meals were not making us a profit.

"The rent on some of these places is unrealistic for traders.

"The last Saturday before we closed was ridiculous. We only took £500 all day – that is nuts. That doesn't even pay a water bill.

"It's major problem for businesses right now. It’s especially tough for staff we had working with us as well. They have to find jobs as well.

“Our hospitality really suffered in Worthing. Other business owners came to me stressed about the same things.”

Aunty Bunny’s Hut opened its Worthing restaurant in 2018 and it quickly became a popular place for locals to eat. The opening came after the couple ran street food and pop-up markets for a number of years in Brighton and London ‘to gain experience and do market research’.

Speaking at the time, Isabel said: “We have a lot of plans but the main thing is to keep it street foods – so a very casual dining experience, like take aways, or a place to ‘lime’ as we say in the Caribbean.

“At Aunty Bunny’s Hut you can find a good selection of tapas with the fusion of the Caribbean and Spanish influence.

“You can also enjoy a nice cocktail and live music, or just come to grab something quick for your lunch break."

Barry said the closure wasn’t for a lack of support from the community – and they will still have an active presence in the town.

"We still had a lot of support,” he said. “People have been sending us sincere messages.

"We still get a lot of calls from people booking us in for weddings.

"We are trying to carry on. We are not gone, we have just moved from where we were.

“We are a humble family business trying to use social media to put our product out there. We are launching our new hot sauce and trying to go down different avenues.”

Barry and Isabel are now on the lookout for a new, affordable premises to run the business from.

Barry said: “Trying to get the right premises for our needs is almost impossible. We need to get on the seafront but when we hear about something, it's already gone.

"It all depends on the weather for our business at the moment. We need some help from the council to find a new location.

"We have been offered two locations. One would have been ideal but the costs would have been the same and we would have had the same uncertainties.”

Barry also shared a view ideas about how the food scene in Worthing can be improved further.

"We need a communal space and businesses to come together,” he said. “We need a food court on the seafront or in Steyne Gardens and allow businesses to come out.

"It happens in London and Spain. That's what we see all the time. The current incentives here are only temporary.

“We need a space that everyone can share. We need a community space and bring in live music – create an atmosphere. We have Christmas events but we need something that can happen all year round.”

For now, the couple are back to where they began, running pop-up events and offering a service via social media. To get in touch, visit https://www.facebook.com/AUNTYBUNNYSHUT/.

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