Green shoots for Manchester as pub, bar and restaurant openings rise by 2.5%

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

There are green shoots for the city’s restaurant, pub and bar businesses, with news that the sector is growing again following the pandemic.

According to stats from the Northern Restaurant and Bar show, cities in the north are leading the charge of regrowth, with Manchester’s hospitality sector growing by 2.5% over the last year.

Liverpool has shown the most growth of any city in the UK in the hospitality sector, with 4.4% growth, followed by Leeds with 3.9%, Edinburgh with 3.3%, Manchester with 2.5% and Newcastle with 2.3%.

London only comes in at ninth place in the 14 cities which were studied, with just 1.6% growth, behind the likes of Chester, Birmingham and Glasgow.

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Thom Hetherington, CEO of the Northern Restaurant and Bar show, said: “Operators in cities like Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds have suffered just like the whole hospitality sector, with huge issues around lockdown costs, lost trading and staffing.

“So, although this initial turnaround may be small, the direction of travel is a vital and encouraging change. It offers a much-needed burst of positivity to see so many new concepts, sites and launches, and to see happy drinkers and diners flooding through the door.”

Key openings in the city, with venues such as the popular BOX sports bar on Deansgate and Nell’s Pizza in the Kampus development, not to mention Ramona and The Firehouse on Swan Street, have all contributed to the rise.

Karl Chessell, Director of Hospitality Operators & Food at CGA, which provided the data, added: “It is highly encouraging to see some of our key cities re-energised with new investment and openings after an incredibly tough period through the pandemic.

“The