Since its 1992 launch, Manchester’s Metrolink tram system has grown from a single line connecting Bury and Altrincham with the city centre to a network of seven lines and more than 90 stops, carrying passengers from the direction of Eccles, East Didsbury, Ashton-under-Lyne, Rochdale and even Manchester Airport. The £350 million Trafford Park line extension, due to open in 2020, will add a further 5.5 km and six stops to the UK’s largest light rail network.

With Greater Manchester residents firmly embracing a more London-style culture of travelling to work and leisure pursuits on public transport, what opportunities does this present for pub and restaurant operators in the city centre? Already there is anecdotal evidence of lower car use increasing dwell time and customer spend on week night evenings. Workers who once headed straight home from a day in the office in their cars are now likely to stay in the city centre for a drink or two on some week nights before travelling home on the Metrolink or other public transport.

Unlike the City of London, where many pubs and restaurants are closed on Saturdays and Sundays, Manchester also has a thriving weekend economy, thanks to its reputation as a sports, music and foodie hub. A larger tram network will increase the flow of drinkers, diners and shoppers into the city centre at weekends too, potentially providing a boost for pubs and restaurants.

Recent reports of a recovery in the number of wet-led venues (those that prioritise serving drinks over food) trading in the UK could also be particularly well timed for Manchester as its tram network continues to grow. In more suburban areas of the city region, many traditional pubs have slowly migrated into a largely restaurant-based, family-focused offer. The city centre has retained a greater core of wet-led bars and pubs and is now ideally placed to expand on this, tapping into the renewed consumer demand.

As appetite from casual dining brands has slowed, demand from cocktail bars, microbreweries and craft beer venues is on the up and there are numerous ongoing requirements from local, regional and national brewers in Manchester city centre. Drake & Morgan, which predominantly has venues in London, recently opened its second site in Manchester (The Anthologist, St Peter’s Square) while Camerons has ongoing requirements for its Head of Steam concept in Manchester, to name but two examples. 

• This content first appeared in The Morning Advertiser.

   

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