Greater Manchester’s hospitality sector is calling for change and better support, both for the local community and the UK government, following the latest raft of closures.
Various well-known independent businesses have closed in the first quarter of 2026 across the city centre, let alone the numerous others across the ten boroughs over the past year or so.
In truth, this worrying trend has been going on for much longer than the last 12 months, and it seems that it’s not just new openings that are most at risk of closing before they can even get going, but now well-established regional institutions are struggling to stay afloat.
Case in point, our oldest Turkish restaurant – which had been serving central Manchester for nearly half a century – Topkapi Palace, has now closed seemingly for good.
A recent addition to the city centre itself, French-Vietnamese cafe and restaurant Doux Chaton wrote on social media: “This is genuinely so sad to see. Topkapi Palace is part of Manchester’s fabric. Running an independent spot is no joke — it takes everything.
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“If we keep letting places like this go, we lose more than food; we lose culture, history, identity. Please support your local independents where you can. It matters more than ever – our representatives need to support our community not only regionally but nationally.”
They went on to tag the likes of Mayor Andy Burnham, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and others to call for crucial intervention sooner rather than later.
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For some, it’s unfortunately already too late.
Currently, their Stockport in Hazel Grove looks to be remaining open, but we’ve seen this story before; Almost Famous, Seven Brothers, Greens, and SO many others have sadly had to shut up most, if not all, of their locations.
As of this May, we’ve already had to say goodbye to the likes of Topkapi, KAJI, Climat and House of Fu; Project Halcyon, Örme, the long-standing TNQ, the first-ever Northern Simmons site, a branch of Banyan, just to name an unlucky few.
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This is just heartbreaking. We can’t carry on with either this PM or Chancellor. Both need stepping to one side and allowing others mop up their disaster of a tenure.
And that’s just the ones that shut down in the first few months of this calendar year; 2025 was a gut-wrenching year for the food and drink industry, with indies all over the region and beyond having to fight tooth and nail to stay open for even just a few days of weekly trade.
Almost just as concerning has been some of the behaviour by some patrons, even here in our own city.
From more than one or two reports of people walking out on their bills, people even nicking the most petty stuff, such as decorations and bar’s cushions, to a troubling number of no-shows that don’t just mean one less reservation – it can mean the next person missing out on a seat and people losing money.
Another nearby native commented: “I honestly think Manchester is on a tipping point for many people – what was ‘old’ Manchester, which many of us loved, is being slowly erased by the new. People here are saying basically ‘use it or lose it’.
“Fair enough, but there’s very little spare money about, and I hear lots of people saying they don’t go into town for the day to spend that money shopping and for a meal or treat-day because they don’t ‘recognise the place’.”
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They go on to add: “Most importantly, they often say they don’t like Manchester now. The towers that are shoved in places where you could see daylight and there was space to walk and breathe are overwhelming.
“I’m not being reactionary – I love New Islington and Cutting Room Square, etc., but NQ has lost its grit, and I find Deansgate really soulless and depressing when once I used to go out every night after work for drinks, and go in every month with the family on a Saturday for culture, shop and a meal.
“No more. Love Manchester, but I’m not in love with it anymore. Topkapi was great once, and it’s sad it’s gone.” A passionate appeal, indeed.
It goes without saying that rising energy bills, untenable business rates, rent, and a general cost of living crisis mean that people simply don’t have enough money to go out for tea, treat themselves to a drink in a nice bar, or even just go to the pub as often as they once did.
We’re by no means experts, but it’s easy for all to see that something needs to be done and fast, as we’d like to avoid seeing any more of our hard-working Manc favourites falling by the wayside and joining the list of those that we’re still mourning to this day.
Legendary city centre boozer named one of the best beer gardens in the UK
Daisy Jackson
No phones, cheap pints, and bags of sunshine – that’s the USP of Sinclair’s Oyster Bar, and now it’s earned itself the title of being one of the UK’s best beer gardens.
This legendary local pub has placed in an impressive eighth place on a new list of the nation’s top outdoor watering holes, beating beachside boozers and countryside pubs.
Sinclair’s Oyster Bar is the only Greater Manchester pub to make the new list published by Big 7 Travel.
They celebrated it for its ‘old-school pub characteristics’, which is a pretty fair summary of this local legend.
As well as a strict no-phones policy, encouraging its inhabitants to keep devices in their pockets and have a chin wag over a Taddy Lager instead, the pub is also serving pints at some of town’s most old-school prices.
This is one of the few places in town where you can still get a pint for less than a fiver, with its humble selection of beers and stouts priced from £3.50.
It’s also cash-only, and housed in a fascinating building that dates back to the 18th century – though it didn’t always stand in its current location on Exchange Square.
The pub has actually been rebuilt twice – once in the 1970s, being raised up by five feet to match new street levels during the construction of the Arndale Centre; then again in 1996 after the IRA bomb.
The 3000-pound bomb that changed the face of Manchester left the little pub with only minimal damage, but left it (and its neighbour, the Old Wellington) in need of a new home.
Sinclair’s in Manchester has been named as having one of the best beer gardens in the UK
So these centuries-old buildings were popped up on stilts and moved 300m down the road, meticulously reassembled over 11 months like a giant LEGO set to form the new square beside Manchester Cathedral.
You can read more about Sinclair’s Oyster Bar’s fascinating history HERE.
As for the present day, the pub’s suntrap outside terrace is forever heaving on match days, when football fans from across the globe pack around its picnic tables.
Big 7 Travel wrote: “Known for its old-school pub characteristics, including being cash-only and a no-phones policy, this historic pub – whose origins date back to the early 18th-century – is well known for serving cheap and easy-drinking Sam Smith’s beer, making it the perfect spot to socialise with friends in the city.
“The beer garden is also a complete suntrap, so when the sun’s shining in Manchester, there are few better places to spend an afternoon than Sinclair’s.”
It has placed in the top 10 of the guide’s list of 30 beer gardens in the UK, which has also named a couple of spots in the Lake District and Peak District.
Lavish Gay Village restaurant MAYA has announced its closure after just two years
Daisy Jackson
MAYA, a restaurant that was delivering refined dining in the Gay Village in Manchester, has announced its closure after just two years in the city.
The luxury three-storey restaurant opened in 2024, transforming a former warehouse building on the corner of Chorlton Street and Canal Street.
MAYA made its way into the Michelin Guide just two weeks after opening – though subsequently dropped off the prestigious list.
But now it’s the end of the road for this ‘bold and ambitious project’, with owners confirming today that its final service will be this weekend.
They wrote that ‘this has not been an easy decision’ but the restaurant is faced with an ‘increasingly challenging backdrop’ that is making the outlook for an independent businesses like MAYA ‘increasingly difficult’.
Inside the ground-floor brasserie, diners had beautiful views down the iconic cobbled canalside street.
Then downstairs below ground level lay the main dining room, filled with luxury touches like blue velvet and brass, plus a huge central marble-topped bar.
There was even a ‘secret’ hidden lounge bar below the main dining room too, with a strict no-photos policy.
MAYA Manchester has announced it closureThe Canal Street restaurant opened in 2024
MAYA’s full statement reads: “After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close MAYA Manchester, with our final service taking place this weekend.
“This has not been an easy decision. Over the past year, and especially in recent months, we have made strong and encouraging progress, but against an increasingly challenging backdrop for hospitality and small, independent brands.
“It has become clear that, looking ahead, the outlook for businesses like ours is increasingly difficult and not sustainable in its current form.
“Our immediate focus is on our team, and they have been kept updated throughout this process so they can consider their options and make necessary plans. Our focus now is on supporting the team through the coming days and ensuring everyone is paid properly. We want to thank every member of our team, past and present, who helped shape MAYA and contributed to its story.
“We would also like to thank our guests, collaborators, performers, DJs, suppliers and wider Manchester community who supported MAYA over the last two years. Whether you joined us for coffee, cocktails, celebrations, late nights or something in between, thank you for being part of it.
“MAYA has always been a bold and ambitious project. We have been proud to see it evolve, particularly in recent months, and we are proud of the moments, friendships and memories created within our walls.
“As we approach our final few days, we remain focused on giving our guests and community the experience they know us for. We hope many of you will join us before our final service, as we celebrate this chapter together.”
Danny Jones -
8th May 2026 
