THE date has been set for the arrival of a new restaurant in Winchester city centre following a £800,000 transformation.

Caribbean restaurant and bar Turtle Bay will be opening in St George Street on Sunday, January 21, with the creation of more than 50 jobs.

Last week, the new restaurant, based at the junction with Jewry Street, was holding auditions for position, which Turtle Bay said were designed to bring out each candidate’s personality.

Elijah Hunter-Finn, openings project manager, said: “The auditions are an exciting couple of days and a really fun way of getting in tune with the Caribbean vibe and the essence of Turtle Bay."

The chain, known for its jerk chicken and two-for-one cocktails during its happy hours, already has a branch in Southampton.

Turtle Bay, which is backed by private equity firm Piper, was founded by Ajith Jaya-Wickrema, who also co-founded Las Iguanas.

The chain has 35 restaurants nationwide, including a £750,000 restaurant in Southampton’s cultural quarter which opened in 2011.

That was Turtle Bay’s second venture following a debut opening in Milton Keynes a few months earlier.

The Winchester site was formerly occupied by Toni & Guy salon, which at the site for more than 20 years, but the hair salon moved to Southgate Street in April last year, leaving the premises vacant.

A spokesman for the restaurant said: "Turtle Bay creates a flavour of the Caribbean for guests as soon as they walk through the door, transporting guests to sunnier climes. Winchester diners can expect a vibrant, quirky, beach-shack-inspired ray of sunshine of a restaurant!

"Welcoming and sociable, Turtle Bay on St George Street will have its own bespoke design, making it unique to Winchester. One of Turtle Bay’s most ambitious transformations, the restaurant will be a contemporary and smart take on the Caribbean, featuring an open street kitchen and an impressive island ‘beach shack’ bar."