Another new restaurant is set to open at Halle Place, the Arndale’s £11m food quarter.
Hoardings have now gone up signalling the arrival of Kokoro, a Korean-Japanese restaurant.
Kokoro started life a little over a decade ago in a tiny restaurant space in London – it’s now grown from a three-table business to a franchise with more than 50 locations.
When it opens here in Manchester, it will join Archie’s, PizzaLuxe, Barburrito, Doner Shack and Wolf Italian Street Food in the Arndale’s newest space.
Kokoro will be opening at Halle Place in the Arndale. Credit: The Manc Group
Food at Kokoro. Credit: Instagram, @kokorouk_official
Kokoro, which translates from Japanese as heart, mind or soul, specialises in fresh and healthy food.
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Dishes on its menu include warming bowls of noodles, stir-fries with rice, and sets of sushi and nigiri.
Popular meals at Kokoro include its chicken katsu curry rice bowls, its sweet chilli chicken thighs, and its Korean-style beef bulgogi with onions, carrots, and bell peppers.
It’s not yet known when Kokoro will open its doors at the Manchester Arndale.
Featured image:The Manc Group
Eats
Family-run tapas restaurant shames customers who stole decorations
Daisy Jackson
A family-run restaurant in Whitefield has publicly shamed a couple who stole new decorations from them.
Campo Blanco, a popular tapas joint in the Bury suburb, threatened to call ‘Santa’ over the petty theft.
Owned and operated by high school sweethearts Aaron and Faye Cummins, the charming local spot opened back in 2018 and has been a firm favourite in Whitefield ever since.
But it’s not just their tapas menu that’s caught the attention of locals – now apparently it’s their new table decorations.
Campo Blanco has shared CCTV footage of a couple who dined there recently pocketing lamps off their table.
The customer in question quietly reaches across her dinner, picks up the pretty gold lamp, turns it off, and shoves it into her coat pocket.
The restaurant shared the video online and pleaded for them to return the lamps by Christmas Eve.
They then said they’d be telling Santa – ‘and by Santa, we mean the police’.
Campo Blanco wrote: “We love our new table lights too. We actually can’t get them anymore as they’ve stopped making them so please bring them back. Also, they aren’t yours!
Viral juice brand Joe & The Juice is making a BIG return to Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Popular coffee shop Joe & The Juice is making a grand return to Manchester, taking on a huge unit in the city centre.
The Danish-based business is famed for its juices, shakes, and sandwiches, including its best-seller, the Tunacado.
Joe & The Juice used to be based within Debenhams in Manchester, but moved out of town when the retailer collapsed.
Now it’s back, signing a 10-year lease on a 2,685 sq ft unit at Manchester Arndale, in the former EE store.
With more than 300 juice bars and coffee shops around the world, Joe & The Juice’s pink branding has become a familiar site globally since its launch in 2002.
It’ll be joining the likes of Michael’s Coffee House, HOP Vietnamese, Sides, Creams, Black Sheep Coffee and Lazy Sundae in the Manchester Arndale’s ever-growing food and drink line-up.
Scott Linard, Portfolio Manager for M&G Real Estate, said: “It is great to welcome Joe & The Juice back to Manchester city centre.
“They have built a brand which has become synonymous with meeting spots across UK towns and cities, so we expect them to thrive at Manchester Arndale thanks to our close proximity to city centre businesses and students keen to catch up over a bite to eat.
“Joe & The Juice adds to our already strong F&B mix as we strive to create a full day out experience for visitors to Manchester Arndale.”
Steve Gray, Head of European Retail Asset Management at Global Mutual, added: “Joe & The Juice selecting Manchester Arndale for its city centre return highlights the continued demand we are seeing from international F&B and retail brands for space at the centre.
“Having a mix of established and growing brands helps to ensure Manchester Arndale continues to be an attractive destination for visitors and allows us to draw in shoppers from across the North West.”
Daisy Jackson -
26th April 2022 
