A new, £1.3 million American themed restaurant is coming to Ipswich Waterfront.

Regional restaurant and pub company TLC Inns has bought the former Quayside Restauraunt, and the adjoining vacant commercial unit in Key Street, and aims to create a 6,000 sq ft, 250 seater Grand Central Bar & Grill diner.

The plan is to open in Spring, 2015.

The Quayside Restaurant in the Regatta Quay development closed its doors, suddenly, in February.

It has been acquired by independent restaurant and pub operator TLC Inns through specialist leisure business agents Simon Jackaman Associates.

The company already trades successfully in Ely and Basildon and has also recently acquired another resaurant in Colchester which is due to open in soon.

Managing director of TLC Inns is Steve Haslam.

He said: “These are very exciting times for us. We open our latest restaurant, in Colchester, in about ten days time.

“Then we move on to Ipswich.

“This is a massive investment for us and the largest we have made in an individual project.

“It represents a £1.3 million investment and we hope it will employ some 40 staff.

“We have bought the former Quayside restaurant, and the ajdoining unit, and we will be opening an 250 seater American bar grill.

“Our Grand Central theme restaurants, offer steaks, burgers and ribs.

“Everything is preparared fresh and all the British beef is sourced from farms we know. “It is very much a quality operation. We have a lot of attention to detail.”

“This will be our fourth Grand Central.”

The independent company is owned by Steve Haslam and his wife Jo, and has ten restaurants and pubs.

They had first seen the Quayside Restaurant in January, he said, and bought it from the administrators.

Completing the deal had taken so long because of legal complications.

The plan was to move on site very quickly, he said, “We hope to be open in the Spring. There will also be some differences at Ipswich, such as mezannine areas, available for private parties.

“It has been a long time getting to here,

“We think it will be good for the marina. This area is on the move again, and the area is thriving.”

Agent Simon Jackaman said: “This expansion into Ipswich further underlines that there is growing confidence within the market and the attraction towns such as Ipswich have for growing multiple operators”.

Details of the deal are not being released, with Savills acting for the administrators.

TLC Inns operate a pub and restaurant estate which covers Hertfordshire, Essex, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire and they have plans to acquire more sites to further develop their Grand Central concept.