But the site is unrecognisable. The familiar bright red exterior and green writing which have served as a beacon to hungry clubbers for decades have been replaced by a blue tarpaulin and piles of building materials. Change is afoot.

The 24-hour cafe and bar is being changed into a high-end restaurant.

"Someone walked past, took a picture and put it on Twitter," the 54-year-old said. "Now I've had more than 1,040 emails saying, 'I can't believe it'."

What is it that has triggered such an outpouring of emotion from all corners of Brighton and Hove?

Buddies Cafe Bar Kings Road Brighton

The Buddies breakfast is no more.

An early hours visit to the 24-hour seafront cafe is a rite of passage for many. For years, revellers emerging from clubs in the nearby King's Road Arches or West Street have made a beeline for it.

A fry-up was usually at the forefront of their mind and, whatever the hour, Buddies was always there for them.

But, after a year like no other, Andy has made the difficult decision to adapt the property into a restaurant.

• READ MORE: Buddies cafe and bar in Brighton undergoing major transformation - here is what it will become

"On a personal note, it's very sad that all this history will be going," he said. "I have loved it down here for more than 20 years and it's been incredible.

"We have seen so many special people come through Buddies - people that worked here who now own their own places within the city, but also accountants, doctors, footballers."

He said there were positives in changing from a 24-hour cafe bar to a restaurant.

Buddies Cafe Bar Kings Road Brighton

"It does mean I will be able to go to bed at a sensible time and not have to worry about getting a phone call between 11 at night and six in the morning saying that something isn't right - I should get a good night's sleep.

"My hair might even grow back."

Face masks on and keeping our distance, we duck inside the site. The refurbishment work is well under way, with all internal fittings stripped out to leave a blank canvas. During the early stages of the overhaul, builders uncovered two hidden doorways on the western wall.

Andy gestures to various parts of the building, detailing how a cocktail bar could go here and a prosecco bar could go there. Buddies may be changing but, fortunately, the spirit of the place will remain the same.

"We are taking the best elements, the nostalgia, of Buddies and carrying it on," Andy said.

"But we are also moving with the times. We are looking to re-establish our presence on the seafront."

There will, however, be one very notable change.

The name Buddies is synonymous with the younger, evening and night trade, Andy said, so it is set to be changed.

The new restaurant will still stay open until about midnight on weekdays, and 3am on weekends, but Andy will no longer be on call at all hours of the day.

The refurbishment and fresh approach comes after an incredibly difficult year for the hospitality industry. Businesses across Brighton, and the UK as a whole, have been forced to close their doors for months at a time due to lockdown restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic. New announcements most weeks and ever-changing regulations have made any sort of planning or consistency nigh on impossible for owners.

"I have had people saying 'it's an institution'," Andy said, "but life is changing.

"At the moment, there's no night life and it's more than likely it could be pretty hit and miss over the next 12 months or so.

"So we thought this is the time to do a big refurbishment, all the way through."

He outlines his further plans for the site, with a bakery and a butchers in the basement offering customers fresh food to order. He hopes to have solar panels on the roof to allow the restaurant to rely on clean, green energy, and a permanent glass structure at the front of the building to offer an additional seating area with sea views.

Excitement is the overriding feeling as the project begins to come together.

But there are occasional moments of wistfulness when memories of Buddies at its brilliant, Brightonian best flood back.

"We have had everyone in here over the years," said Andy. "We've had the bands Blue and Blur, the politician Tony Benn, Victoria Wood, Rhydian from The X Factor, and some great times with Albion.

"I'm pretty sure the whole squad has been in at some point."

One of his overriding memories came during one of the Seagulls' promotion parties in the Noughties.

Buddies Cafe Bar Kings Road Brighton

"I got a phone call from then chairman Dick Knight saying they were heading down," Andy said.

"It was about one in the morning and they came in and took over the place, we closed the doors.

"They had drunk the bar dry by the time I got in. I don't think there was a drop of alcohol left in the place."

Andy also remembered two decades of hosting annual charity events for children with disabilities, alongside The Argus and children's charity Rockinghorse.

"That won't stop," he said. "We will be looking to have the same ethos as we did before. Members of the NHS and blue light services will still have their discount, there will still be Christmas parties with charities as well.

"The ethos will be the same, but the site will be lifted from a cafe and bar into a restaurant.

"We have had a really great outpouring of support from councillors and politicians who know about the plans. We want to showcase the best of Brighton."

However, Andy does admit that one question persists when people learn about the refurbishment.

"Where will I go for breakfast? "