A Southampton nightclub has undergone a £40,000 refurbishment ahead of a club night that they hope will bring ‘everyone together’.

Café Parfait had a five-week makeover in the summer, ready for the return of university students to the city this month.

Owner Richard Gilbert oversaw the repainting of the building, the installation of new signage, a new sound system and colour changing floodlights that light up the building from the floor to the ceiling.

Richard told the Echo: “We did everything over the summer bit by bit, as we didn’t want to close and lose revenue.

“We spent £40,000 which isn’t an insignificant amount of money!

“It’s really the first time we’ve done a big refurbishment.”

He added: “I’ve owned Café Parfait for 16 years; you’ve got to keep your finger on the pulse in this industry and keep up to date with what people want these days.

“Not only have you got to sound good, but the visuals have to be good as well.”

READ MORE: 5 of the best nightclubs in Southampton

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Richard admitted it’s been a tough time following the Covid-19 pandemic, with far fewer admissions coming through the door.

He said: “It’s by far the toughest it’s ever been, there’s been a cultural shift since Covid.

“Ten years ago, across the week we would get roughly 12,000 admissions – now it’s about 3,000.

“Luckily the weekend trade is as good as it’s ever been.”

Café Parfait will host an array of Southampton based DJs for a special club night on Friday, October 6 titled, Codename: Amen.

Promoter and DJ, David Hammel told the Echo: “This is our fourth event here, so we’re delighted to be partnering with Café Parfait.

“It will be great to test out the new sound system on Friday and we’ve got some brilliant acts.

“We’re looking forward to continuing our relationship and producing a pathway for local talent who will have the opportunity to play in front of a paying audience.”

Amy Willow is one of the DJs performing at Codename: Amen.

She said: “I’ve been in Southampton for six years and when I first came here there was a really good community.

“Then Covid hit, and a lot of clubs shut down and there was a lot less space for underground DJs to grow and find space within the community.

“With Café Parfait and the events they’ve got on, it’s a great place to bring everyone together.”