Legendary burger restaurant Almost Famous has said it’s ‘so grateful’ after it received a huge outpouring of support from customers following a vulnerable post.
The restaurant had said that one of its most beautiful locations was ‘struggling’, and they feared they would have to say goodbye to it for good.
In a heartfelt statement shared online and addressed to people living in south Manchester suburbs, Almost Famous shared a ‘mini cry for help, not a beg’ to help its Withington restaurant keep the doors open.
And just one day later, the burger joint confirmed that the people of Withington ‘pulled through’.
Customers were waiting outside the restaurant before the doors were even open on Wednesday night.
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With just one incredibly honest post, Almost Famous went ‘from an empty restaurant to fully packed’.
They’ve since said that they are ‘so overwhelmed at the support, adding: “I’m not crying it’s the hay fever.”
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Inside Almost Famous in Withington. Credit: The Manc Group
Almost Famous also wrote: “OMG Manchester, this is what makes us special and beautiful, a city that takes care of its own and feels like a giant family. So overwhelmed at the support.
“We love you all so much and you know we are there for you like you are for us.”
Almost Famous opened last year inside a beautiful Grade II-listed building in Withington, which had previously (very briefly) been The Libertine pub.
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Inside, it serves the huge burgers the brand is famed for across the UK, and now also has pool tables, big screens for the Euros, and plenty of food and drink offers.
Their initial post said: “Calling all people of Withington, Chorlton, Fallowfield, Didsbury, South Manchester and beyond! This is a mini cry for help, not a beg. Almost Famous Withington is struggling, it’s the most beautiful of our sites, and we adore it. But we need your love and support to keep its doors open.
“Opening in the suburbs hasn’t been like anything we’ve done before, and while we’re rockin it on Deliveroo, there’s just not enough people coming through to experience the magic in the restaurant. We get it, times are tough for everyone, so we’ve been offering 50% off burgers all the time to give our baby a much-needed boost.
Burgers at Almost Famous in Withington. Credit: The Manc Group
“Withington is the coolest place with an incredible community vibe, and we’re proud to be part of it. It would be heartbreaking to say goodbye, so come down, show some love, grab a half-price burger and have a good time.”
Almost Famous later wrote: “Our hearts are full, we’re so grateful, OMG Manchester, this is what makes us special and beautiful, a city that takes care of its own and feels like a giant family.
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“So overwhelmed at the support. From an empty restaurant to fully packed tonight this is mental and amazing. We love you all so much and you know we are there for you like you are for us.
“We’ll be back at it from midday tomorrow with half price burgers all day. We’re also going to extend our half price birthday burger sale for another month, so you can get 50% off your favs all through June
“We know times are tough for everyone at the moment and we just want to make people happy and make burgers!! Thanks for letting us do this and spreading the word – let’s keep it going and save Withington.”
Glastonbury weekend is upon us, and to celebrate the UK’s biggest music festival in all its glory, Nell’s is hosting its own festivals instead.
Hundreds of thousands of people will be making the trek to the fields of Worthy Farm next weekend, as Glastonbury 2025 headliners Olivia Rodrigo, Neil Young, and The 1975 bring the tunes, alongside a list of other talented names too big to even begin starting to reel off – as is always the case with Glastonbury, there’s something for everyone.
But for those of us not lucky enough to have bagged tickets to what is undeniably the biggest event in the British music calendar, not to worry, as Nell’s is where it’s at here in Greater Manchester.
The beloved New York-style pizza specialists – which now has four sites across the region – is turning two of its most popular restaurants into festival hubs next weekend, bringing all the spirit of Glastonbury to Kampus and Altrincham.
Manchester‘s thriving canalside neighbourhood Kampus will become home to the aptly-named Kampus Fest, while over in the Trafford town of Altrincham, Alty Fest will be in full force.
Nell’s is hosting its own FREE Glastonbury-themed festivals at Kampus and in Altrincham / Credit: Supplied
At Kampus, the gardens will be transformed into a city centre festival site for a free three-day party featuring big screens live streaming the full Glastonbury festival throughout, plus a pop-up market, face painting and hair tinsel stations, an outdoor tequila and margarita bar, happy hours, and of course, lots and lots of Nell’s pizza.
Altrincham is bringing you much of the same – the same big screens, the same tasty pizza slices, and the same happy hours, only over two days instead of three.
Family fun is also at the heart of both Kampus Fest and Alty Fest, so you can expect lots of crafting workshops and bunting making, accessory customisation stations, as well as all-day colouring sessions by Born to be Wild Child and Søstrene Grene.
Kampus Fest will take over the gardens at Kampus from Friday 27 – Sunday 29 June, while Alty Fest will take place at Nell’s Altrincham on both Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 June.
Hugely popular Manchester bakery The Flat Baker has announced plans to open its very first cafe.
The Brazilian-French bakery has become legendary in the city for its flaky croissants and pistachio-based treats.
For the last few years, it’s been operating out of a hatch in Ancoats, with queues often snaking down Radium Street from early in the morning on weekends.
And now The Flat Baker has announced an exciting next chapter in their journey in Manchester – their very first bakery and cafe.
The team will be taking over a unit on the same street, which will have space to house their baking operations as well as a sitting area to serve brunch and hot food.
They’ve announced that they’ll be retaining their much-loved hatch but expanding to a second site in the heart of Ancoats.
They hope this will drastically reduce any waiting and queue times and allow even more people to sample these incredible bakes.
In a statement shared on Instagram, they wrote: “We have been keeping a secret from you. This corner of Ancoats will never be the same, because it will be our new bakery, cafe and brunch!
“We have been dreaming of it for years – we almost closed a deal with another two locations in the past few years, but it didn’t work out.
“We were about to leave the plan of the new shop aside, we were very frustrated of how things were not working the way we planned it to…
“But everything happens for a reason! Who knew the building next door was just waiting for us…
“The two-storey building has just the right space for our baking operations, plus a sitting area and a space to serve brunch and hot food.
“Don’t worry, we won’t let our tiny hatch go, we will keep both locations. This will allow us a faster service, avoid the waiting times and long queues.
“For now we just want to share this great achievement. Growing a small business when you see many other places shutting is such a challenge. But if you never stop dreaming and work hard for it, the sky is the limit! We can’t wait for the next chapter to come. Matt and Deb x”
The Flat Baker Cafe is expected to open in Ancoats this summer.
Daisy Jackson -
31st May 2024 
