1847 Manchester announces closure
Vegetarian restaurant 1847 in Manchester has closed in order to search for a bigger site.
1847 launched in 2010 and now operates restaurants in Birmingham, Bristol and Brighton. The original site on Mosley Street in Manchester was expected to undergo expansion, focusing on the back of house and toilet areas.
However discussions with the landlord, which began in March 2016, came to a standstill. Owner Damien Davenport has since decided to take a break and focus on looking for a new site.
He said: "1847 Manchester was our original site and one that's very close to my heart. I even lived in the loft storeroom for nine months back in 2010/11 to get the business off the ground! The main dining room was refurbished in December 2015 and whilst this looked great, we still operate with one toilet, limited storage and a small kitchen.
"Late November, with just two weeks until the start of our new lease, our new landlords changed the terms. They demanded a deposit equivalent to one year's rent, removed the lease from the Landlord and Tenant Act and stalled any discussions on expanding until the new lease was signed. Just days prior to our old lease ending early December, they called saying that if I didn't agree to these terms, we'd need to vacate that week."
Solicitors agreed to a short-term tenancy until the end of April. The restaurant is now closed while Davenport looks for a new site.
He added: "Development across Manchester continues at a fast pace and the opportunities are endless. We have the best team in place, furniture, equipment and stock, if the right site was to arise we'd jump at the chance to reopen in Manchester."
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