Sneak peek inside The Exchange in Waterlooville as works continue on the venue set to bring nightlife back to the area

There has been a lot of intrigue in The Exchange since it was announced to be opening at the site of the old Natwest bank in Waterlooville early last year. Described as an all-day venue, it is set to be a mix of a cafe, bar, and restaurant, with locals not having long to wait to have a look inside.

SEE MORE: Owners of new all-day venue excited to open "community space" for all

The News met up with co-owners Steph Thomas and Abdul Kalam this week to look behind the scenes as work continues at pace to get the doors open by the end of the month. While there is still work to be done, Steph is aiming for a soft opening on the week commencing February 14 with doors opening to the public by the start of March.

Steph said: “We would like to create a community space, somewhere that everyone feels comfortable, be it parents with toddlers, the elderly, or groups of friends on a night out.

“You can drop in, you don’t have to eat, you can just have drink. We are hoping it will be a real community space. We will be open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dancing, cocktails, you can pop in for a coffee, you can bring your family, we will be serving pizza as well.“

The Exchange was one of the first businesses to be named as part of the Waterlooville regeneration scheme. They were awarded a grant from Havant Borough Council to help with the renovation of the building which has proven to be tricky task.

Steph said: “It has been a long time in the making, we took the keys for the property back in January last year. The bank was quite a difficult building to redevelop, especially downstairs in the vault room which we have preserved and turned into toilets. We know it has been a long time, it took a while for us to get the licence because we knew it was going to be an unusual venue in the town.”

The venue is starting to take shape with the bar in place and the flooring down in one section. It is shaping up to be an exciting addition to Waterlooville, providing a nightlife that has been lacking. Steph said: “There is a night life need in Waterlooville. We are not here to be open until two in the morning every day but we do want to create a night economy so people have somewhere to go.

“You can have a short taxi ride to here from home, they can leave the children at home and come out and have a few cocktails or beers, and still get home at a sensible time. We are trying to create something fun and safe.”

A video of the inside as well as a full interview with Steph and Kalam can be found here.

Here are 9 pictures of The Exchange as it gets closer to completion: