CLOSED | Didsbury Restaurant Is Back On The Market

David Blake 29 November 2016

DIDSBURY restaurant Chalk has closed and gone back on the market, less than nine months after it was bought by current owners Mark Andrew Developments (aka MAD Ltd) – the group behind a number of Manchester venues including Infamous Diner, Hula, Rosylee and Tusk.

Back at nerve centre in Northern Quarter, MAD are continuing with plans to convert the old Habib House on Stevenson Square into a new 'megabar’

A spokesperson for MAD said the group had intended to keep the restaurant open until the New Year, however a ‘major fault with the extraction’ had forced them to close earlier than expected and move Christmas bookings to their other sites.

Chalk is now being marketed by Christie & Co. with leasehold offers of around £300,000 being sought.

The struggling bar and grill – opened in an old Turkish kebab spot on Wilmslow Road in May 2014 - was sold to MAD in March by then owner Chris Longmate (who would go on to close his ill-fated King Street fine-dining venture, Quill, just three months later).

READ: Chalk Reviewed in October 2014

Chalk has now closed

MAD boss Mark Andrew said at the time of purchase that it would be ‘business as usual’ at Chalk, with no immediate plans to alter the menu or design.

Unfortunately the fortunes of the restaurant failed to improve and MAD have since announced their intention to ‘focus on developing both new and existing bar-lead venues as part of its expansion programme into 2017’.

The group are to follow the recent launch of Tusk in Heaton Moor with a second site for their Fitzgerald cocktail brand, above the new Tusk on Heaton Moor Road (opening on Saturday 2nd December).

Whilst back at their nerve centre in Northern Quarter, MAD are continuing with plans to convert the old Habib House on Stevenson Square into a new 'megabar’.

“MAD has a number of exciting openings to announce early next year including a mega bar in central Manchester, and the expansion of an existing brand to three times its current size – both due to complete in February,” said the spokesperson.

Sounds like we're in for a MAD early-2017.