Pop Up Margate in the High Street has closed.
Margate Town Team opened the venture in 2012 under the name ‘Poportunity’ as part of the Mary Portas Pilot Funding Programme.
The aim was to give start up ventures a place to test the market and grow at a reduced rent.
But the town team has now been given notice to quit by landlord Panter (VAT) Properties Ltd and another tenant is said to be lined up to take the property on.
It means there is now no base for the small businesses that operated there – including the café, craft, clothes and jewellery stalls and a nail bar.
Dawn’s Brow and Beauty Bar has moved to a new site in Northdown Road.
A Town Team spokesman said efforts are now underway to find a new premises.
They said: “Unfortunately the landlords gave us notice to quit as they have another tenant for the premises. We are looking for suitable alternative venues and hope to re-launch at some point in the future.
“However the property situation in Margate around the High Street is quite difficult at the moment and we have not yet been able to secure an alternative venue.
“Whilst we are disappointed that we have had to move out, we must be grateful for the extended use the landlords gave us of that building for many years. It has been a happy and beneficial association for both parties and all of the Pop Up tenants who have been part of that Pop Up experience.
“We are hoping that the experience we have had managing he shop over the years will allow us to launch a bigger and better version in the future, where we can nurture fledgling businesses.”
The Pop Up was one of the ventures by a newly created town team following the award of £100,000 to Margate as one of 12 town centres across the country selected to be the first Portas Pilot projects in 2012.
The national Portas Project was later declared a failure.
