THE Chinese Buffet has closed its Bridge Street restaurant - but states it is in discussions with another site in St Helens.

At short notice, The Chinese Buffet announced on social media that the St Helens restaurant would be temporarily closed on Monday, November 25.

Signs have also been placed around the Bridge Street restaurant explaining that the business has temporarily closed, but no reasons for the closure were given.

This has caused upset with some customers who reported that they turned up at the Bridge Street restaurant, unaware that the business had closed. 

One St Helens resident even claimed that she was unable to get her deposit back for a birthday meal she had organised at the restaurant last week.

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Robots have been used as waiters at The Chinese BuffetRobots have been used as waiters at The Chinese Buffet (Image: Newsquest) In a statement on Facebook, the Chinese Buffet said: "Starting November 25th, our St Helens restaurant will be temporarily closed. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

"As a gesture of appreciation for your understanding, customers with reservations can enjoy a 50% discount on food at our Bolton or Bury locations.

"Thank you for your support—we can’t wait to serve you again soon! Stay tuned for updates."

The Bridge Street building was originally constructed as the Savoy cinema in the 1930sThe Bridge Street building was originally constructed as the Savoy cinema in the 1930s (Image: St Helens Archive Service) Although the business states that its St Helens restaurant has temporarily closed, a spokesperson suggested that the business will be moving to another location following the end of its lease. 

Following questions from the Star about the Bridge Street closure, a representative from the Chinese Buffet said: "Unfortunately our lease has come to an end.

"We are in discussions on another site within St Helens and look forward [to] welcoming our customers back in the New Year."

The Chinese Buffet did not respond to further questions about why the lease was not renewed, and did not clarify which locations it is looking into.

The building turned into the ABC Savoy and Cannon Cinema before it was demolishedThe building turned into the ABC Savoy and Cannon Cinema before it was demolished (Image: Philip Mayer) A prominent building on the corner of Bridge Street and Exchange Street, the Chinese Buffet stands on the site of the former Savoy Picture House.

Built in the 1930s, the once-popular cinema expanded from a single screen to a three-screen venue in 1978. The building then became the Cannon Cinema in the 1980s until it closed in 1993 and later demolished

When the current building was constructed, there were plans to convert the site into the 'Savoy' nightclub, although these plans never materialised and The Chinese Buffet opened in the early 2010s.