Owner of new Kettering nightclub hopes to bring good times back to the town

The boss of a new nightspot says he wants to bring good times back to Kettering after a ‘depressing’ few months for clubbers.

Tropicana will open its doors for the first time tomorrow night (Friday) in Ebenezer Place and owner Sahil Kotecha is promising ‘fun for everyone’.

It will be a welcome boost for the town’s night-time economy after Brooklyn Bar, which formerly traded at the venue, lost its licence in March before the shock closure of The Loft nightclub, Abacus and Cheers Bar in August.

Sahil said: "It's been depressing – people have been going to Northampton or Leicester for a good night out.

"We want to bring the good times back to the town."

There had originally been a plan for the venue to open as Rhythm with different management before 26-year-old Sahil decided to take it on. His family own the building and once ran it as Bar Qbano.

Sahil went to Montagu School and has moved back to the area from north London having worked in the construction and property development industry.

And he can’t wait to open his first nightclub in the town he grew up in.

He said: "I'm excited and I'm looking forward to opening now.

"We know a lot of people are excited to have somewhere else to go and have a good time."

Tropicana will be open from 10pm to 3am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and from midday to 10pm on Sundays, with drinks on offer including beers, cocktails, wine, Champagne and more.

It has created more than a dozen jobs and Sahil said that, within the next three to six months, he wants upstairs to become a karaoke and cocktail lounge while downstairs carries on as a nightclub.

The venue was previously home to Brooklyn Bar which had its licence revoked after a series of violent incidents.

Sahil, who has no connection to the venue’s last tenants, said Tropicana will have metal detector wands, sniffer dogs and strong security staffing to make the venue safe.

He added: "We're hoping to bring back good music, good DJs and good vibes.

"We're going to make it fun for everyone. There's going to be a great atmosphere."