Eats

Mancs slam ‘glow down’ of beloved Northern Quarter book shop cafe

'It used to be special'.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 3rd July 2025

One of the Northern Quarter’s cosiest cafes has gone through some big changes – and people aren’t happy about it.

Chapter One has traded for years as a cosy cafe-book shop hybrid, with cosy couches and quiet corners where people often sit and study, work or read.

But in recent months, it’s joined forces with the outdoor food and drink spot, Mala, just next door.

It means that a lot of the cosy couches and peace of Chapter One have been replaced to create one open-plan mega-venue.

As you enter Chapter One now, you’ll find the usual quirky mismatched furniture has been joined by picnic tables and benches, to match the maximalist beer garden Mala outside.

The two venues now seamlessly blend into one another – including the loud music.

And Mancs have got something to say about it.

When we shared a video walk-through of the new layout, one person commented: “Name a bigger glow down. I’ll wait.”

Another said: “I loved chapter one for the calm, space to read on my own or chat with a friend. Not anymore. Farewell chapter one.”

Someone else posted: “I’m so sad they got rid of the library… It used to be special and my absolute favourite place in the city centre.”

And one person wrote: “Completely ruined it. Got rid of the cosy sofas and hidden nooks, just for more tables and music far too loud. Overpriced and lost her charm, it seems :(“

Somebody else said: “Haven’t been since it changed, chapter one used to be a sober safe haven in the city centre to find peace and they’ve got rid of exactly the reason why it was so loved! So sad.”

@__rachelharley__

I just want my cosy, peaceful coffee shop back where I can read my book and not have to wait half an hour for a drink – I actually cannot understand why they’ve done this💔 #manchester #chapteronebooks #coffeeshop #manchesterlife #booktok #manchesterstudent #chapterone

♬ original sound – RachelHarley

Over on Reddit, one local posted: “I am so so so disappointed with what they’ve done, why does every after hours social space have to involve an ungodly amount of noise and alcohol these days? It was my favourite place to go to hang out with friends, we’re mostly introverted and like a relaxing place.”

One person posted on TikTok: “Where do we go now Chapter One Books has been absolutely destroyed? I just want my cosy, peaceful coffee shop back where I can read my book and not have to wait half an hour for a drink – I actually cannot understand why they’ve done this.”

Read more

The Manc has approached Chapter One for comment.

Featured Image – The Manc Group

Eats

Upcoming Manc food hall House of Social confirms final kitchen ahead of opening

Danny Jones Danny Jones new final kitchen manchester food hall house of social

House of Social, another new food hall in Manchester city centre, has confirmed the latest and last edition ahead of its launch this summer.

The soon-to-open student block and its upcoming culinary offerings will be here before you know, and now, just over a month out from the grand unveiling, the fifth and final foodie resident has been revealed.

We’ll give you a hint: it’s pizza… very pretty-looking pizza.

Courtesy of Dough Religion (DR), a new Manc pizza restaurant, they’ll soon be slinging out stonebaked pies that already have a strong reputation and a very cool backstory in the local area.

Co-conceived by Chef Chris Edwards, who first began his venture during quarantine from the cult lockdown project dubbed ‘The Waltzing Matilda‘ – a floating pizza place serving slices from a cute little canal boat – and Matt Butcher, who created Dough Religion, the brand and idea have grown much bigger.

Teaming up with House of Social’s Jake Atkinson, who is heading up food and drink at the building,

Waltzing Matilda can be found cruising around Greater Manchester, Macclesfield, the Peak Forest Canal, other parts of Cheshire and out into the North West, but now that established, wood-fired spirit Chris set up with his dad, Paul, is being translated into a proper brick-and-mortar venue here in the city centre.

Dough Religion will serve up giant 18-inch pizzas, whole or by the slice, alongside a full lineup of house-made subs, bagels, and a rotating lineup of desserts and bakes.

Those eating at House of Social (HoS) can expect burrata-topped slices, vodka sauce pizza and fried-chicken Caesar hoagies; New York-inspired bakes, showstopping cheesecakes, standout ingredients from the UK and imported from Italy, as well as plenty more.

Its arrival comes after a Mexican and LA street food spot was named as the fourth tenant at HoS.

A new ‘Mexicali’ food concept is the latest vendor confirmed for the upcoming House of Social food hall
The House of Social food lineup is looking stacked.

Speaking on the announcement, Edwards said: “This dough’s been years in the making – tested, tweaked, and obsessively perfected. The pizza is a hybrid of Neapolitan softness and New York chew and crisp; we’re focusing on long fermentation and the best flour available to really maximise the dough.

“The boat was magic, but it had its limits. With Dough Religion, we’ve got the space, the kit, and the crew to go all in. This isn’t going to be your traditional pizza place– it’s bold, loud, and built to share.”

With Dough Religion completing things on the kitchen front, House of Social’s hospitality lineup promises plenty of variety and quality. Roll on August, we say.

The team are hoping for it to become a go-to destination for diners throughout Manchester and beyond, with the food hall craze not showing any signs of slowing down. Case and point:

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Press images (supplied)

Eats

The first new tenant of the old Debenhams department store on Market Street has been confirmed

Danny Jones Danny Jones new food hall opening in Ryland building old Debenhams department store Manchester

The first new resident of the Rylands Building on Market Street in central Manchester has been revealed, and it’s a foodie one.

Set to be the maiden opening inside the old Debenhams department store, which closed after more than three decades back in 2021, Rylands’ debut won’t be for another year or so, but it will soon welcome Mancs with an increasingly popular food hall operator making its way up north.

Simply called Market Place, the ever-growing brand is fast becoming a well-established name, with four venues in the capital already and a fifth coming soon.

Rylands will be their first location outside of London, and with 1,300 sqm of space at their disposal, Market Place Manchester is set to make a significant splash on the high street.

market place food halls london
A look at Market Place Peckham.
market place food hall manchester city centre
A rough idea of what the Manchester branch could look like.

Developers managed to green-light plans for the Grade II-listed building last November, sharing the first details and glimpses of their vision for the instantly recognisable city centre spot, including a whole new rooftop terrace.

Currently earmarked for a late 2026 launch, the former department store (previously Paulden’s) consisted of seven floors but is now set for a four-storey extension that promises to be a massive and varied retail, leisure and business destination that makes the most of the expansive structure.

Not to be confused with the famous John Rylands Library – a much older, more gothic, historic and hallowed hall over on Deansgate – this task of ‘revitalising a Manchester icon’, to quote property firm AM ALPHA, is a huge undertaking.

In charge of the redevelopment since 2023, the group have been outlining a pretty complete overhaul, with plans to convert the upper floors into premium office space, and the creation of a retail arcade at ground level, on which Market Place Manchester will sit.

This particular Manc corner was a bustling food, drink and shopping complex for the longest time, but has been derelict and covered up by boards for what feels like forever, with urban explorers even roaming the large, abandoned building.

rylands building market st manchester
Credit: Supplied

Now, though, the new long-term 15-year lease agreement will see the latest food hall kick off a new era for Rylands, delivering socially focused venues and the range of flavourful, vibrant choices of scran that Market Place have become known for.

With sites in St Paul’s, Vauxhall, Peckham, Harrow and soon Baker Street – as well as their eventual Manchester outpost, of course – the chain is getting bigger and better, meaning its arrival in the North West is an exciting one.

AM ALPHA manager Paul Hodgkiss said in an official statement: “Manchester is a city with a vibrant cultural scene – the perfect environment for forward-thinking concepts like Market Place Food Hall…

“The early commitment to Rylands is no coincidence: it reflects the strength of our strategic and forward-looking approach to development. We are not just creating high-quality space – we are setting new standards for urban mixed-use concepts. Interest from further prospective tenants is strong.”

It was only last week that Greater Manchester’s latest market hall, Campfield Studios, said hello to the general public and with House of Social also opening this summer, among several other similar projects, soon you won’t be able to move for more social hospitality scenes like this:

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Press shots/CGIs (supplied)

More Eats

Hotel Chocolat to open viral chocolate Velvetiser Cafe in Manchester

Eats

Hotel Chocolat to open viral chocolate Velvetiser Cafe in Manchester

Dave's Hot Chicken is coming to Manchester

Eats

Drake-backed fried chicken brand Dave’s Hot Chicken is opening in Manchester

Vegan Royale

Eats

Burger King is giving away FREE vegan burgers to meat lovers to prove how ‘tasty’ they are

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches