Tern calls for support as it faces extended closure

Worthing's only fine dining restaurant, Tern by Johnny Stanford, is appealing for support from the Sussex community to help ensure its survival as the premises faces extended closure. 

Earlier this month, Worthing Pier was damaged by heavy storms, forcing the local council to shut it down until repair work could take place. Tern has had to close its doors and find an alternative venue as a result. 

Damage to the pier is worse than initially anticipated and it is now expected to remain closed until late November. 

A helping hand for Tern

Tern is a small, family-run restaurant with 28 covers, which opened to great acclaim in the summer of 2023. Since its inception, the venue has received rave reviews and has been described as the "jewel in the crown of Worthing's thriving food scene". The restaurant was even mentioned in the latest edition of the Michelin Guide. 

Through a massive outpouring of public support, the team was able to secure a pop-up at the East Beach Café in Littlehampton, but the extended closure of the pier has put the restaurant under great pressure. 

"We have been stunned by East Beach Café's support since the announcement of the pier damage, but with the news of the extended closure, we need more help from the Sussex community to ensure the future success of our business," urges Stanford. "The bare bones is that we need people to book to dine with us at the East Beach Café and support the family business and its staff whose livelihoods could be irreparably damaged by a situation completely out of our control. 

"We are extremely grateful to have been able to extend the duration of our presence at East Beach at such drastically short notice. it is a remarkable space run by a capable and dynamic team and we feel strongly that despite the circumstances under which it has arisen, this is a really inspiring and exciting collaboration."

Staff at Tern will be reducing their hours of operation at East Beach Café, holding dinner services on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. They are also exploring the possibility of alternative revenue streams such as Patreon, through which they could offer unique content to supporters. 

"As ever, we remain focused on delivering a memorable experience for our guests," Stanford adds. "The hospitality industry can be as brutal as it is wonderful, We now need to lean heavily on our local and wider network to survive. Restaurants like ours depend on our fantastic guests spreading the word as much as possible, not only about our dire situation but most importantly about the remarkable experience we strive to give our guests."


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