Staff are putting the final touches to Great Yarmouth's newest restaurant as it gets set to open before the end of the year.

Frankie and Benny's will welcome its first customers on December 29 and staff said they were excited to be launching in the town.

The popular restaurant chain has been built on a formerly disused piece of land on Jones (GC) Way alongside The Grayling, the town's newest pub.

Frankie and Benny's has created 51 new jobs with its Yarmouth branch, all of which have been filled by local people, and will be able to seat 188 diners.

General manager James Roberts, who is from Yarmouth, said the eatery would be family orientated and hoped to 'uplift' the town.

'We're really going well, we've started training and we're now getting into the swing of things,' he added. 'We're really excited for the 29th and keen to be part of the community so we'll be creating links.

'We're just hoping to bring a really good eatery into Yarmouth, a destination restaurant where people can have a good night out. I don't think there's enough of that here at the moment.'

Mr Roberts, who has previously worked as a general manager at a Lowestoft hotel, said the impending opening was creating a buzz in the town.

'All my staff have become mini celebrities with everyone asking them when is it opening,' he added.

The 220-seat Grayling pub opened to the public earlier this month and created more than 50 new jobs.

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