Southsea restaurant closes after owner says noise complaints over live music led to drop in business

Kassia in Osborne Road, Southsea has been closed by owner Kaz Miah after he said not being able to play live music led to a decline in customers.

Portsmouth City Council environmental team served the business a noise abatement notice in January 2018 after resident complaints. The notice acts as a final warning before legal action is taken.

Mr Miah said: ‘We had live music and DJs on Friday and Saturday nights and it helped us to compete with other bars on the street at the weekend.

‘Then we had noise complaints and we were warned by the council environmental team and it completely killed it off. We have had an 80 per cent drop in business and so we have had to shut.

‘We invested a lot of money into the business but since the complaints we have been struggling to get the revenue.’

But for food lovers, a new Kassia branch is set to open in Denmead in two months time.

The new restaurant - which will be located where Fleurtations was before it closed earlier last year - will have more of an upmarket restaurant feel than the other branches, with a focus on traditional meals and exceptional table service.

It will have a cocktail menu with their popular drinks, as well as eventually bringing in live music for evening entertainment.

Mr Miah added: ‘People love our food and the new lounge will open in eight weeks time which is really exciting.

‘We are also in talks with a London firm who want to open a restaurant in the old Southsea restaurant.’

Kassia has restaurants in Drayton and Clanfield as well as takeaways in Cowplain and from the Clanfield restaurant.