Speakeasy cocktail bar? Tanning salon? Decision for Chichester basement handed to the public

Dan Waller, from North Bersted, set up Trojan Barbers in East Street last month, with free beers, a pool table, dartboard and putting green, it is little wonder the new spot has enjoyed some strong trade.

After taking over the unit, which was formerly home to Champney’s, Dan found himself sitting above a sizeable cellar and the ‘entrepreneurial brain’ kicked in.

Before making any decisions about what to do with the space, Dan is reaching out to readers to find out what they want to see in the city.

Speaking to this newspaper, Dan said: “It’s huge! It’s the size of the whole of the ground floor. It’s the same height as the upstairs until about halfway through but the other half is only about 6ft high.”

“I have noticed one some [Sussex World] posts that when there’s a new shop that there are often lots of complaints. So maybe this is an opportunity to see what people want in Chichester.”

Dan does have some ideas of his own, but will ultimately leave the decision making down to readers of the Chichester Observer

"I hear that quite a lot of people are after a good sunbed place. In an ideal world I’d love to open a speakeasy downstairs, a nice little cocktail bar.”

Business upstairs has been going ‘really well’, Dan added, “We’ve had great traction from the [Chichester Observer] post, and it has been really steady. We’ve even got a second barber now.”

What do you think the space should be used for? Get in touch: [email protected]