Exclusive: Kaleido Restaurant Closes

Confidentials 31 July 2013

OPENING a fine dining restaurant above The National Football Museum (NFM) was always likely to be an own goal.

It came as a surprise that every incarnation failed to address the cold look, the waiting room atmosphere and insipid colour scheme.

So it has proved.

With immediate effect Kaleido restaurant is to close after several unsuccessful attempts to create something special up in the sky - or at least on levels five and six of the Urbis building.

Instead the company that runs the events and catering for NFM, Kudos of the Crown Group, intends to use the space for events and one-off showcases.

This is the official press statement: 'Following the success of the events at Kaleido, (Kudos) is preparing to turn the current restaurant on the top floor of the Urbis building in to a dedicated event space.

'The Kaleido restaurant opened in 2012 following the refurbishment of the Urbis building and formed part of the contract with Kudos to manage the cafe at the National Football Museum (NFM) as well as manage the event space at NFM.

'The restaurant has enjoyed a healthy share of the local and regional social market as well as the corporate market. However, in recent months the restaurant has received more demand as an event space, which has resulted in a shift of strategy for the venue.

'The senior management at Kudos have taken positive steps to showcase the venue with local and regional event professionals to ensure the venue continues the success it is currently enjoying.'

Urbis with Kaleido on the top

NFM say: 'The National Football Museum has had a fantastic first year. We’ve exceeded all expectations in terms of visitor numbers having welcomed over 450,000 guests in 12-months.

'We believe our visitors deserve only the very best choice in facilities and are able to enjoy this fantastic building in its full. We are committed to working with our partners including Manchester City Council to ensure any change of use is in keeping with enhancing our overall visitor experience.'

The sad news is that staff have been made redundant.

This includes chef Paul Riley and the very good team he'd assembled. So following on from the demise of Le Mont and then of The Modern, Kaleido fails as well. Proof again of how difficult it can be to establish a fine dining restaurant.

Let's hope that naysayers, idiots and gloom-makers don't interpret this as a particularly Manchester problem. It isn't.

Simon Rogan's The French is fully booked into September, 63 Degrees is going strong, Abode is doing well, Aumbry is a success and so on. Meanwhile Living Ventures is pushing the boat out for Aiden Bryne at Manchester House which opens on 17 September.

The problem with the high-flying Urbis location has been nothing to do with the Manchester dining scene but all to do with sterility.

It came as a surprise that every incarnation failed to address the cold look, the waiting room atmosphere and insipid colour scheme. It mostly felt like a very trendy crematorium. Every commentator said this, every time, and yet nothing changed - weird.

The food never had a chance.

A restaurant experience is a full experience, food, drink, ambience, design, service. It's a balance.

Kaleido/The Modern/Le Mont never achieved that balance.

It'll be interesting to see how Kudos kit out their new 'event space'.