But the owner is already on the lookout for a new site
City centre vegetarian restaurant, 1847, is to close after failing to agree new terms with their landlord, says the owner.
The modern restaurant on the corner of Mosley Street and Booth Street first opened in 2010, with sister sites following in Birmingham, Brighton and Bristol - creating the only UK brand of vegetarian restaurants.
Owner Damien Davenport says negotiations with landlords, SSGA, have been going on for the last fourteen months, while solicitors managed to agree a new short-term tenancy until the end of April 2017. Discussions, however, failed to progress, resulting in Damien deciding to take a break to focus on looking for a new site altogether.
“1847 Manchester was our original site and one that's very close to my heart,” said Davenport. "Our customers have remained loyal to us throughout the past seven years and I’d like to thank them for their support throughout."
I lived in the restaurant storeroom for nine months
In an interview with Confidential back in 2015 (here) he revealed, “It's been a tough journey, particularly in the early days. When we opened in 2010 as a café, it nearly sent me completely bankrupt. I lived in the restaurant storeroom for nine months until we turned it around. It meant everything to me.”
The larger sites in Birmingham, Bristol and Brighton enjoy separate bars and larger kitchens, allowing them to cater for more covers. Davenport had hoped to replicate a similar layout in Manchester, but says he was continually frustrated by lack of space and stalled talks. "We still operated with one toilet, limited storage and small kitchen," he said.
Despite the closure, Davenport remains confident of a return to the city. “Development across Manchester continues at a fast pace and the opportunities are endless,” he says. "We have the best team in place, as well as furniture, equipment and stock. If the right site was to arise we’d jump at the chance to re-open in Manchester straight away."
When asked about the future of his staff, Davenport said: “I have offered roles to every one of them - although I appreciate not everyone can move to another city. I have also put them in contact with the HR Director of a local hotel who is a close friend of mine.”
Confidential approached the landlord, which refused to comment.
