AFTER eight months, 427 bacon butties, three serious structural hiccups and a fair bit of swearing, Northern Quarter-based burger merchants Solita launched their third restaurant in Prestwich last night.
Only one guy refused to pay because he'd 'eaten at home', then went straight to the bar and started drinking like Keith Moon...
WBO lightweight champ Anthony Crolla, Page 3 crumpet Rhian Sugden and Confidential's own fat man, Gordo, joined 200 guests at the bash - which raised thousands for homelessness charity Not Just Soup.
"The launch party went better than expected," said Solita co-owner Franco Sotgiu, "with over £3000 raised for the charity.
"We wanted to launch Solita Prestwich with a difference," Sotgiu continued, "instead of the same old faces drinking all the free booze and eating all the free food, we charged guests £20 for a ticket to raise awareness - and money - for Not Just Soup.
"Only one guy refused to pay because he'd 'eaten at home', then went straight to the bar and started drinking like Keith Moon.
"Still, it was great to see so many Prestwich locals and Whitefield, we've had some great feedback and we're now booked until the end of September."
Sotgiu, alongside business partner Simon Pogson, first opened Solita down an NQ back alley in 2012 and have gone on to launch an enormous site in Didsbury, a third on the main drag through Prestwich with a fourth to open within Deansgate's lucrative Barton Arcade within six months.
Who said the burger was dead...
