Worthing burger restaurant announces closure - 'We are so sad'

Burger Mee, which was based in Worthing’s Royal Arcade shopping centre, confirmed the news on social media on Tuesday (September 26).

"We are so sad to announce that Burger Mee will be permanently closing,” the announcement read.

"We want to thank all of our loyal customers. We wish you all the best.”

The restaurant’s closure comes after it was revealed the amusement arcade – where the eatery was based – would be giving up its lease.

The Connaught House, at 32-34 Marine Parade, is looking to change the use of its ground floor arcade and restaurants, for commercial shop fronts and restaurants, alongside 21 flats on the upper floors of the buildings, with the arcade asking to give up its licence in September.

The Burger Mee restaurant and the Arcade Fish Restaurant, part of Connaught House facing Marine Parade and the Royal Arcade respectively, were due to be kept with the mostly Bath Place-facing side to become 220 square metres of new commercial space.

Plans would also see 12 one-bed and eight two-bed flats spread across the first to third floors, including some alterations to the roof to accommodate the new fourth floor, three bed penthouse flat.

Lift and stairway access to the upper floors from Marine Parade would be exclusively for access to the flats, as well as new bike storage being added behind stairway access from Bath Place.

The Connaught House Ltd, which manages the building, had a new penthouse approved last year by Worthing Borough Council, to be built on the roof, with one other existing residential space a vacant two bed flat on the fourth floor – which will be replaced with a new two bed flat and the penthouse.

Connaught House is within the South Street Conservation Area and is listed as having character of interest to the area by Worthing Borough Council – it is also near to several Grade II-listed heritage buildings.

Agents for the plans stated: “The sensitive design approach and set back from the edges of the roof will ensure the extensions at roof level are not a dominant addition on the street scene – the appearance of the prominent town-centre building will be enhanced.”

Click here to view details of the plans, using the code AWDM/1174/23.