Love Thy Burger restaurant plans to open in former Santander unit next to Ann Summers in Ipswich town centre

Former Santander unit could be a new burger unit Archant

A former bank in Ipswich town centre could be turned into a new burger restaurant.

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A planning application has been submitted to Ipswich Borough Council to transform what used to be Santander in Westgate Street into Love Thy Burger. The building is currently unoccupied.

The family-run business formed in 2014 and opened its first restaurant in High Street, Colchester, in March last year.

It is hoped the Ipswich site will become the company’s second eatery.

The property to the west of the proposed venue is a three-storey Grade II listed building, so by law the company must take into account the effect the changes would have on the overall setting of the area.

The only external changes that would be made to the building as outlined in the planning documents are the instalment of a new sign at the front and the replacement of the old extraction duct at the back.

The new restaurant would seat around 25 customers.

The company also hopes to run a “very small” takeaway business from the restaurant, but this would be limited – making up around 5% of total trade – due to the owner living in Colchester.

In the proposal, the company has said a new extraction system would address the potential noise and smell from the restaurant as it will be fitted with a fan motor and silencer unit.

In the planning bid, Love Thy Burger is described as a “small family-run business devoted to providing high class restaurant facilities in high street locations specialising in burgers of all kinds which are prepared on-site using locally sourced produce.”

At the end of January this year new gourmet burger deli Smokey Joe’s opened in Coyets Road, Ipswich.

Could Love Thy Burger or Smokey Joe’s earn a place in our list of top 10 burger restaurants in Ipswich this year? See more here