A POLISH restaurant which hoped to tantalise the tastebuds of the community was forced to bid pożegnanie, or farewell, to Old Town five months after its grand opening.

Wood Street eaterie Karczma Polska closed its doors two weeks ago after failing to attract a steady stream of customers with its traditional Polish fare.

The restaurant, which is in the unit formerly occupied by Los Gatos, had hoped to answer the demands of the town’s growing Polish population as well as offer non-Polish guests a taste of Eastern Europe.

There was an initial buzz around the bistro after its December opening but co-owner Craig Gavin said almost from the outset it proved difficult to pull in the punters.

“We never really got off the ground to be honest,” he said.

“The customers just weren’t coming in and we thought we would have more support from the Polish community, after all that’s why we opened the restaurant in the first place.

“We tried everything to keep it open, even having Groupon deals at one point but nothing worked. From the outside it looked busy but there was nothing we could do.”

Renovations are now under way as the restaurant leaves Eastern Europe for the warmer climes of south east Asia, transforming into Old Town Thai.

Complete with new staff, concept and menu Craig is confident the restaurant will eclipse the success of its predecessor.

He said: “I don’t know if the food we served had enough mass appeal before but with the new Thai menu there’s something for everyone.

“I’ve been to Thailand many times and our new chef is also Thai, so I feel like we have a much better idea of what we’re getting into now.

“We have an excellent chef who has cooked for celebrities and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and we’re really excited about showcasing the authentic food we can offer.

“The food is delicious, we have a jungle curry which is full of flavour and we’re confident that we can get the customers in and enjoying themselves.”

The new dining experience, which will find itself in direct competition with Victoria Hill’s Thai Orchid, is due to re-open its doors on Thursday.

Craig said: “It was very stressful and it still is, trying to get the renovations completed, but we’re looking forward to having our launch night and being back in business.”