A NEW destination for celebrations with friends and family has opened its doors in Romsey despite rocketing energy bills.

The upstairs of Indian restaurant Natraj, in The Hundred Road, has been converted into the second branch of Funky Flamingo following the success of the garden-themed lounge bar in Bedford Place in Southampton.

The modern food and drink venue, popular for its Instagram opportunities, will open its doors at 4pm on Friday, October 14 with food and cocktails as well as launching bottomless brunch from midday on Saturday, with both days fully booked.

Previously the space was used as an overflow restaurant for Natraj customers. Group manager Sij Islam said: “Since Covid, the space hasn’t been very busy and wasn’t being used to its full potential.

“Romsey has a lot of drinking establishments but nothing fun. It’s not a big place and people often want to stay local and all generations can come together here. Funky Flamingo is kind of niche. It’s good food, good cocktails and good fun. It’s not just for youngsters, it’s for everyone.”

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The refurbishment cost around £120,000, with the price of materials increasing by 15 to 20 per cent since the project began in 2020. To combat rising energy bills, the bar is opening with reduced hours and Mr Islam is encouraging his staff be efficient where they can.

He said: “Energy bills are through the roof and are our biggest cost. Our bill for the Funky Flamingo building has gone up from 15p per kilowatt hour to 85p now.

“We’re having regular meetings with our venue managers to talk about where we cut the costs. A big one for Funky Flamingo is actually the pizza ovens so we’re turning down the ovens and having to explain to customers that it might take a little longer.

“Even with the cost of living hitting people so hard, it’s not going away anytime soon so people will adjust to coming out with friends and family. People will still make time for that and probably look to cut costs on bigger purchases.”

The Romsey restaurant is Mr Islam’s 12th venue launch as manager for other venues like nightclubs Buddha Lounge, Fever & Vibe and Tokyo Bar in Southampton.

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Currently, staff from other businesses within the group have been moved around to cover the shortage at Funky Flamingo in Romsey while the bar continues to recruit. The group manager said hiring staff has been “challenging”.

Six members of staff, including two chefs, have been employed so far with the business looking to hire three to four more people.

Funky Flamingo Romsey, lounge and restaurant, will open from 4pm on Friday, October 14 for advanced bookings before accepting walk-ins from 9pm. The venue will be open Tuesday to Sunday from 4pm-11pm, with extended opening hours on Friday (4pm-11.30pm) and Saturday (12pm-11.30pm).

For more go to ilikegoingout.com/venue/funkyflamingo-romsey.