Manchester’s food and beverage (F&B) offer has long been one of the strongest and most diverse of any regional city in the UK. Despite a slowdown in expansion by national operators and other well-publicised challenges faced by the sector generally, a raft of local, independent brands is opening up and thriving in Manchester.
A prime example is Gateway House near Piccadilly station, recently refurbished by LaSalle Investment Management, where the last five lettings have all been to local F&B operators including Northern Soul, Bandito Burrito, Flock, Archie’s and Moose Coffee.
In addition to the established Northern Quarter, new mini F&B hot spots are beginning to emerge in Ancoats and the area around First Street. The rise of street food-style operators and healthy ‘grab & go’ concepts such as Rudy’s Pizza, Bondobust, Kettlebell Kitchen and Friska have also played an important role in this growth to date.
Looking ahead, Manchester has all the ingredients in place to support further success for local F&B operators, not least an ever-growing urban population living in the city centre and a high number of students, tourists and professionals.
All of these groups are known to eat out frequently and generally be open to trying new food styles and experiences. The city’s significant development pipeline of large-scale business space and mixed-use schemes will provide a further boost to footfall.
In a crowded F&B market, local operators can also provide the personal touch.This may mean using tailored social media platforms or creating a personality-driven team on the ground who get to know and remember customers. They are also often skilled at spotting trends as soon as they occur and adapting accordingly. All of these can be important tools in driving return visits.
Likewise, the creativity that being an independent F&B owner or operator affords can lead to dishes that look every bit as good as they taste as well as the freedom to create a unique ambience and sense of place. Both are vital in appealing to members of the Instagram generation who are seeking the all important photo opportunity with every meal.
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