THE owner of a popular Christchurch eatery that will close its doors for good this weekend has said the town centre is “dying” because there are too many food outlets.

Cheese & Alfies in Church Street, which is owned and run by husband and wife team Sarah and Mike Calvert, will shut following service on Sunday.

The restaurant opened in February 2010, but Mr Calvert said that around two years in, he started to have concerns over the number of restaurants in the town.

He said it was around the time restaurant chain Pizza Express applied to open a branch in the town that he voiced concerns there would be too many eateries.

Mr Calvert said: “I said if the council sacrificed retail in place of restaurants, the council would end up killing the town centre."

He said at the time there were already 25 per cent of non-retail units in the town which went up to 27 per cent when Pizza Express was granted permission.

Mr Calvert said: “The balance has completely gone the other way. We have saturated Christchurch town centre with so many places to eat and drink now that the balance has gone.

“The town centre is absolutely dying. We’ve seen almost a 50 per cent drop in turnover. I’ve been talking to other retailers and they are seeing a huge drop in footfall.”

During the Christchurch Food Festival in May, Cheese & Alfies had its quietest Saturday of the year despite the number of visitors to the town.

Earlier this week, the Daily Echo reported Christchurch had been described as one of the south’s “retail success stories” in the annual Midsummer Retail Report from real estate adviser Colliers International.

And earlier this month, Mike Ismail, director and owner of Baggies Coffee House, launched a petition calling for the refusal of plans to open Coffee #1 at the former Shoe Zone store on High Street because the town is already inundated with places selling food.

Jane Lynch, head of planning at Christchurch and East Dorset Councils said: “Planning policy separates the retail areas of the town into two categories, primary and secondary shopping frontage. Within the primary frontage the policy sets a limit of 30% non-retail units at ground floor only.

“Currently the percentage of non-retail uses on Christchurch High Street is marginally over the 30%, which is a result of changes in national planning legislation not approvals of planning applications for change of use. Outside the primary area, which includes Church Street where Cheese and Alfie’s café is located, there is no limit on the number of non-retail uses.”

Mr Calvert said after announcing the Cheese & Alfies would be closing, he had received hundreds of messages from customers which had been “absolutely wonderful.”

“Since we went public with this information, my days are spent in the kitchen and talking to customers as much as possible and thanking them.

"I’ve had people emailing me saying, I met my boyfriend in Cheese & Alfies and we still come every year for our anniversary.

"We’re just this little café in Christchurch, you don’t realise the impact you have on people’s lives.”

On Sunday, customers who tuck into one of the café’s signature breakfasts called The Pans that come served in a pan will be able to take a pan away with them.

While on Monday and Tuesday, there will be a table-top sale where people will be able to buy everything from teaspoons to freezers.

He added: "It's lovely that so many people want a piece of Cheese & Alfies."

Mr Calvert and his family are planning to start a new life abroad.