Twenty new jobs will be created in Felixstowe next week when a new restaurant opens its doors.

Italian restaurant Prezzo is due to open on the site of the former Candler & Sons furniture store in Hamilton Road on Tuesday and has cost £600,000 to develop.

The restaurant will have seating for 170 diners – with 106 in the restaurant, 40 in a rear garden courtyard and an additional 24 in a pavement seating area. It has an option to extend upstairs in future.

Contractors have carried out a complete refurbishment, including alterations and repairs to the building’s structure.

Prezzo chief executive Jonathan Kaye said: “The restaurant will serve the highest quality food in comfortable and stylish surroundings and I believe that it will be a good addition to Felixstowe’s social scene.”

The restaurant will serve popular and innovative Italian food, including a range of pizza and pasta and grills, plus tapas-style small main courses, aimed at people sharing together, plus a children’s menu.

It will be open from noon until 11pm throughout the week.

Candler & Sons was part of Felixstowe’s shopping street for a century until it closed last year with the retirment of its owner. Its warehouse and rear yard are being converted into seven business units.