A POPULAR town centre restaurant is set to close its doors and will undergo a rebrand as a burger joint.

Hold the Anchovies, on Newland Street, Witham, has been delighting foodies in the town for more than four years.

On Saturday the à la carte restaurant will shut for the final time under that name, and will reopen again in five to seven weeks, completely refurbished.

Chenise Whitnell will be managing the burger joint when it opens.

She said: “The restaurant has been very successful but after four years we want to try our hand at something new.

“There are a lot of people that are disappointed but you do have to look at the other side of things and that is that it is very exciting.

“We are changing into a more comfortable concept. We want to bring something to the town that nobody else has got.

“It is going to be a funky and quirky burger joint for all ages. Nothing is going to be brought in and we want to use all fresh local produce.”

The interior redesign will give an industrial feel and Chenise says it will not be your typical American diner.

It is not all bad news for fans of the former brand, as the owners have teamed up with the team behind Crofters, on Maldon Road, and will be merging the two businesses.

Chenise said: “We are going to be in partnership with Crofters, which is another business in the family.

“Our head chef is moving to Crofters and will cook some of our favourites so Hold the Anchovies will still be there. Adding a splash of Hold the Anchovies to Crofters will make it perfect.”

Most of the staff are staying on at the new restaurant which does not yet have a name.