Lost Boys Chicken relaunches pub residency after closing Brighton restaurant

In an Instagram post​​, founder Tomas Samandi confirmed that the group’s site on York Place had closed permanently, describing the decision as the hardest of his professional life.

“The market shift from eating out to dining at home post Covid, along with the rising cost of living and the need to scale down the business contributed to this decision,” he said.

“There were also some factors beyond our control. As we all know, it’s a tough time for our incredible industry and like many of our neighbours, it’s been a struggle.

“I won’t ramble on but if you can, please support your local business.”

Samandi went on to confirm that Lost Boys Chicken had now relaunched its residency at The Joker, which he described as taking the business ‘back to where it all started’.

Lost Boys Chicken was founded by Samandi back in 2015 as a homage to his childhood memories of eating nuggets and sauces as being a way to bond with friends.

It started out life as a pop up at The Joker where it operated for several years before opening a standalone restaurant on Your Place called Lost Boys Land in 2022.

The group also operated a site within Shelter Hall food hall on Brighton seafront for a time.

Lost Boys’s menu features a selection of fried chicken sandwiches alongside wings and loaded curly fries, which are available to order with a range of buffalo and ‘signature’ sauces made in house.

In his statement, Samandi added that while he was considering operating a delivery service via The Joker, he would rather encourage customers to visit and pick up orders.

“It is far more beneficial to the business (delivery companies take a significant cut) and often more cost-effective for you.

“If you love local spots, please support them by eating in or picking up your orders. It makes a huge difference, and we love meeting our customers rather than feeling like robots hiding in the kitchen.”