THE devastated proprietors of one of Colchester’s bestknown family restaurants have been forced to close it after more than 30 years of High Street trading.

Chris and Clive Curtis have closed Clowns, with the loss of 13 jobs, claiming plans for a major retail and leisure village at Tollgate, Stanway, were “the last nail in the coffin”.

Mrs Curtis, 58, said: “We were quite devastated. My husband was in tears.

“We asked all the staff to come in, one by one, soIcould see them individually and tell them. We explained the situation and there were quite a few tears from the staff.

“A lot of them have been here a long time. One has been there 12 years, another for ten years and a couple for five or six years.”

Mrs Curtis, who ran the administrative side of the business while her husband was head chef, said the restaurant has been struggling since November. They had tried to turn things around but had decided, in June, to close, because was getting “literally no footfall.”

She added: “The town centre has been dying for a long time.

We are at the wrong end of the town centre.

“Tollgate is getting bigger and bigger. Everyone knows they are trying to move the town centre out there. That was really the last nail in the coffin.

“We read about that and we just thought, ‘we’re fighting a losing battle’.

“When we opened 31 years ago, we were the only restaurant in Colchester selling burgers you could sit and eat at tables.

“When we first opened, it got busy really quickly.

“On a Saturday the queues would be out of the door, along to the end of the building and around the corner.

“We were so thrilled, it was so successful and we used to see how far past Jacks hardware store in St Nicholas Street] it would stretch.

“It was such fun at the time. I have lots of happy memories.”

Mrs Curtis said in its heyday Clowns had 15 staff working on a Saturday and after opening at 11.30am, would usually be full by noon.

Mr Curtis, 63, and his wife who are now both looking for part-time jobs, said the building’s owner had been very supportive.

Mrs Curtis, who lives in Tendring, added: “We are just so grateful to everybody in Colchester.

We have had an absolute ball.

“We loved Colchester from the minute we moved here. People were always so friendly.”

Daniel Watts, Director of Tollgate Partnership Limited, said: “I am very sad to hear that Clowns is closing; not least because I have fond memories of eating there when I was younger and of their mountainous portions of chips!”

“I don’t think it is fair to blame the closure on the proposals for Tollgate Village, especially when the development hasn’t actually happened.

We have investments in the town centre too; so we want to see it thrive as the heart of Colchester. We have repeatedly stressed we are not trying to compete with the town centre and believe that our proposals will benefit Colchester.”

"Tollgate Village will benefit Colchester's economy by an estimated £16.9m and create 1,000 jobs."