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Japanese restaurant to open at Manchester Arndale’s £11m food quarter

Daisy Jackson - 26th April 2022

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

Kokoro will be opening at Halle Place in the Arndale. Credit: The Manc Group

Kokoro, which translates from Japanese as heart, mind or soul, specialises in fresh and healthy food.

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.

Read more: New Mediterranean and Middle Eastern vegan kitchen to open above Stockport pub

Lighter options range from poke bowls to sashimi to katsu salads.

The menus at other sites also feature mochi, a popular Japanese dessert where ice cream balls are encased in a chewy rice paste.

As well as food and drink, Halle Place is also home to the immersive gaming experience Electric Gamebox.

It’s not yet known when Kokoro will open its doors at the Manchester Arndale.

Featured image: The Manc Group

Eats

The Spirit of Manchester confirms bar closure as Manc hospitality takes another hit

The Bar at The Spirit of Manchester closed

Manchester has been hit by yet another gutting hospitality closure as The Bar at The Spirit of Manchester Distillery, formerly known as Three Little Words, has confirmed they have shut down effective immediately.

The stunning spot set up as The Spirit of Manchester Distillery’s dedicated, customer-facing city centre venue and second home under the arches, opened back in 2019, offering a cocktail, gin-making and tasting experience, as well as a restaurant.

But fast forward six years, and now the once-beloved Three Little Words bar has sadly closed, largely citing the same economic pressures everyone has faced post-pandemic.

Writing an emotional farewell post on LinkedIn, Spirit of Manchester co-founder and master distiller Seb Heeley said: “This is a post I never thought I’d have to write. 9 years ago, we set out with a dream to build something that would represent the spirit of Manchester from the humble beginning in our dining room.

“We were fortunate enough that people embraced our vision, and 6 years ago we embarked on an over million pound project to bring 6 forgotten, abandoned arches beneath the iconic Manchester Central back to life to show the best the city has to offer.

“Unfortunately, COVID changed the playing field 5 years ago, and over the last 2 years, running a city centre hospitality business, we have been hit with a perfect storm of rising costs, taxes and pressure on customer wallets that has ultimately led to an unsustainable business model.

“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we have to close our customer-facing operation on Watson Street today. It’s the amazing team that I feel most sorry for, as it’s their commitment over the last 6 years that has made this building feel like our forever home.”

Having also housed local culinary offerings like Etana, too, it’s sad to see such an eye-catching part of the city’s dining scene fall foul to the ongoing industry pressures and cost of living crisis.

Heeley goes on to add: “If anyone on my network is looking for new recruits, I couldn’t speak highly enough of our whole team. Please get in touch with me about any opening you may have.”

Even if you’ve never been, you’ll have passed a bottle of Manchester Gin countless times. (Credit: The Manc Eats)

Even if you’ve never been, you’ll have passed a bottle of Manchester Gin countless times. (Credit: The Manc Eats)

Heeley signs off by saying: “While this is the end for our experience centre site, Manchester Gin will continue to be made in the city and hopefully enjoyed for years to come.

“Obviously, this is a difficult time for all of us, so please bear with us while we go through this transition. Thank you.” Online orders have also been briefly paused as they look to lay out clearer plans for the future, and we can only hope they come through the other side more stable.

In what has been a heartbreaking start to the week, this marks the third high-profile food and drink casualty in central Manchester alone in the space of just the last two days, with the news of Salvi’s shutting their Deansgate Square location being followed up by another NQ closure barely hours later.

Safe to say it’s more apparent than ever that our hospitality sector needs better support and fast.

Award-winning Northern Quarter cafe and brunch spot announces shock closure

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Featured Images — The Manc Group/LinkedIn

Eats

Award-winning Northern Quarter cafe and brunch spot announces shock closure

Award-winning Northern Quarter cafe and brunch spot announces shock closure

Another Heart to Feed, an award-winning coffee shop and brunch favourite in the Northern Quarter, has stunned Mancs with the news of their closure.

The popular spot on Hilton Street has been operating in the heart of the neighbourhood since 2020, serving dishes like Turkish eggs, breakfast buns, and French toast.

By night, it transformed into a natural wine bar, with great cocktails too.

Before it moved to the Northern Quarter, Another Heart to Feed started life as a cosy Australian-style cafe over on Chapel Street in Salford.

It’s been a much-loved name on the city’s brunch circuit and last year was crowned Coffee Shop of the Year at the Manchester Food and Drink Awards.

But despite all that success, and regularly having queues around the block, Another Heart to Feed is closing for good.

They said they ‘have not been immune’ to the challenges that have been beating the hospitality industry to a pulp, despite appearing to be a real local success story.

In a statement shared on Instagram, Another Heart to Feed said: “Rather than run a risk of letting our brilliant staff and suppliers down we have decided to call it a day.”

The team thanked everyone who has visited the cafe over the years, as well as the past and present team.

Another Heart to Feed is closing in the Northern Quarter — Another Heart to Feed in the Northern Quarter

As well as coffee, Another Heart to Feed was known for its wines — Another Heart to Feed in the Northern Quarter

They then announced that a new operator is already teed up to move into the space.

Another Heart to Feed’s full statement reads: “Unfortunately, we have to announce that Another Heart to Feed will be no longer operating in the Northern Quarter as of the 1st of September.

“The past 18 months have been incredibly tough. We have not been immune to the many real challenges that hospitality businesses are facing at the moment and rather than run a risk of letting our brilliant staff and suppliers down we have decided to call it a day.

“We want to thank everyone who has visited us over the years, whether that was in the early days in Salford, on Burton Road in Didsbury or at our place in the Northern Quarter. It’s been so great being involved in a place that has brought people together the way AHTF has.

“To our team, past and present, thank you so much for all your hard work. You were the essence of the business and it was a pleasure to work with you.

“A new operator will be moving into the site and we wish them every success, please go and support them!”

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Featured image: The Manc Group