Rudy’s is opening another new pizza site in Manchester, taking over the former Dawson’s Music shop after it closed its doors last September.
The new pizza restaurant will open inside 30 Portland street, next to Cafe Nero, taking over the huge two-floor glass building that previously housed the music mainstay – a fixture on the Manchester scene for over two decades.
It will bridge the gap between Rudy’s two existing city centre sites, sitting at a halfway point between the original pizzeria in Ancoats and the Peter street site.
Image: The Manc Eats
This will be the fourth Manchester site for the award-winning Neapolitan pizzeria, which is currently in the process of opening its first Greater Manchester site in Sale on Northerndon road.
Rudy’s has also expanded in recent years to open Neapolitan pizza parlours in neighbouring cities Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingham.
Rudy’s first opened in Manchester in 2015 as an independent pizzeria, operated by local couple Jim Morgan and Kate Wilson.
The pair found huge success with their walk-in Neapolitan pizza concept, creating queues around the block as hungry fans clamoured to get a table, and gained a huge number of accolades including being named one of the best in the world.
Last year, it was named the fifth-best in Europe – coming in just four places behind L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele in Naples, widely known to be the Italian ‘temple of pizza’.
Image: The Manc Eats
In 2017, the founders sold a slice of the business to Mission Mars – the company behind Albert’s Schloss.
Whilst they still remain as shareholders and are said to be “very much involved”, the sale has enabled the huge expansion of Manchester’s favourite pizza parlour into various parts of the UK.
In 2029, its new operators told the Manchester Evening News it planned to launch a further five restaurants in Greater Manchester’s suburbs within the next two years.
At the time, Neal Bates, managing director of Rudy’s, told the paper:
“Over the next two years we aim to open a further five restaurants in the satellite towns of Manchester serving local communities with informal family dining and delivery services.
“If you know of a premises or site that might be suitable, we would be delighted to hear from you.”
Bosses have submitted a planning application with the council for the new Portland street site, which will remain in review until 8 March 2022.
Feature image – Google
Eats
Historic Manchester pub issues apology for ’embarrassing’ toilets and asks for support
Daisy Jackson
One of Manchester’s most iconic pubs, Mr Thomas’s Chop House, is finally undergoing a major upgrade after admitting its building has become an ’embarrassment’.
The historic Cross Street boozer has shared a public apology for the ‘deteriorating’ state of its stunning building.
Mr Thomas’s Chop House is now pleading for support from punters as it undergoes the weeks-long scheme of improvements.
Visitors will find a reduced menu while renovations are taking place.
The pub said that it’s aware that the Grade II-listed pub has been in need of improvement for a while, but explained these works have been hampered by leasing issues.
Mr Thomas’s Chop House explained that it’s been ‘existing on over 30 short-term lease extensions for 8 years while our landlords negotiated with the superior landlord’.
It’s left them unable to invest into the building – until now.
The pub will be adding brand-new toilets downstairs (they said the old ones were ‘an embarrassment’), as well as improving the kitchens and adding a new beer cellar.
In their statement, Mr Thomas’s Chop House said: “First of all, we owe you, our loyal customers, an apology.
Mr Thomas’s Chop House is undergoing a refurb
“Over the past few years bits of our stunning building have deteriorated. The toilets have become a bit of an embarrassment. We are sorry.
“The fact is, we (The Victorian Chop House Company) have been existing on over 30 short-term lease extensions for 8 years while our landlords negotiated with the superior landlord.
“As a result of this uncertainty we haven’t been able to invest into the fabric of the building.
“But now the wait is finally over. And together with our landlords we are finally beginning a scheme of renovations which will return Tom’s to the state it should be in!”
Work began last week and is expected to last for around three weeks.
They also wrote: “Things will be slightly different but we are so excited. Please help us stay afloat while we work to restore Tom’s.”
The brilliant Persian cafe in disguise as a greasy spoon that’s just had a star turn on TV
Daisy Jackson
A family-run, often-overlooked restaurant in Chorlton had a star turn on TV last night, when The Hotel Inspector paid a visit to the Chorlton Metro Cafe.
From the outside, this place looks very much like your run-of-the-mill greasy spoon, and it sort of is, with fry-ups and breakfast sandwiches up for grabs.
But beyond that, this is the spot to come for an authentic, hearty, home-cooked Persian food.
And it’s this strange dual identity that has caught the attention of Channel 5 this year, and given the business a full episode of The Hotel Inspector.
Alex Polizzi and her crew headed to Chorlton earlier this year to assist husband and wife Majid and Zahra in a rebrand to become The Persian Stop (the sign still hasn’t changed, but bear with them here).
During the episode, The Hotel Inspector tackled everything from a menu overhaul to a spruce-up of the restaurant’s frontage, and ran a cost evaluation, hoping to help Majid and Zahra to increase custom.
A full spread of the new Persian dishesMajid at Chorlton Metro Cafe with his new pancake dishFantastic pancakes at Chorlton Metro Cafe
And there were other familiar faces involved too – Channel 5 called on social media experts The Manc (oh wait, that’s us!) to help Majid understand the power of social media.
The couple moved to the UK from Iran more than 20 years ago, and Majid ran a successful construction business – until the financial crisis of 2008.
The pair then poured their life savings into the Metro Cafe, a greasy spoon just across the road from Chorlton tram stop.
Behind the scenes of The Hotel Inspector
They kept the full builder’s breakfasts and mugs of tea, but added a new string of Persian stews and fragrant rice dishes to the menu.
Now, with the help of The Hotel Inspector, the menu puts these ancient dishes front and centre.
Expect slices of syrupy baklava for only £2.80, and traditional stews like khoresh bademjan (slow-cooked aubergines with split peas and lamb) and khoresh fesenjan (saffron, ground walnut and pomegranate chicken).
This is a small business, run by a fantastic local couple, and one of those hidden gems that deserves to be a little less hidden.
Georgina Pellant -
11th February 2022 
