A PROMINENT Winchester building is to be turned into a restaurant.

An application has been submitted to convert the former Toni & Guy salon into a more than 100 seater eatery.

Applicant Aqua Nova LLP want to merge the salon, on St George’s Street, with the empty Movers & Shapers next door.

A well informed source told the Chronicle that they believe Aqua Nova are acting on behalf of popular Caribbean food chain Turtle Bay.

The chain already has a well established following and are known for their jerk chicken. It also serves two-for-one cocktails during its ‘happy hours’ of noon to 7pm and 10pm to close.

When approached for comment, a spokeswoman for the chain did not deny the claim, adding: “We can’t confirm anything as of yet but keep an eye on our website and social media pages as this is where we announce everything.”

The chain also has a restaurant in Southampton’s cultural quarter. The £750,000 eatery opened in 2011 and was Turtle Bay’s second venture after a successful start in Milton Keynes seven months earlier.

Toni & Guy, which occupied the St George’s Street building for more than 20 years, moved to Southgate Street in April.

In March, it was reported that another major restaurant chain had pulled out of the running to take over the store. However, Italian food specialists Carluccio’s did not rule out moving to another site in the city.

A spokesperson said: “We are looking at potential sites in Winchester, however we do not have any one site in mind at this point.”

The city’s abundance of empty shops have been a frequent eyesore to those that walk its many streets.

On The Broadway, many stores have laid dormant for more than a decade.