The owner of an independent Manchester restaurant has shared a heartfelt thank you to the visitors that showed their support over the weekend.
Hundreds of hungry people were spotted queueing around the block for a chance to get into The Thirsty Korean restaurant in Chorlton this past Sunday after Sacha Lord announced he’d be footing the bill and paying for everyone’s food and drink.
The Parklife and Warehouse Project co-creator told people to the most of his card being behind the till at the Manchester Road restaurant as he promised to cover all costs on the night from between 4pm and 10:15pm, regardless of how many visitors turn up.
Lord revealed he had chosen The Thirsty Korean to support as he had previously met with the owner, Eunji Noh – who he called “amazing” and said has “great pride in what she does” – and explained that he first became aware of the restaurant after Eunji was reported as having been bullied and was suffering racist abuse in the midst of advertising her business.
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The Altrincham-born businessman encouraged Mancs to “stand up to the bullies” and “rinse me” by turning out to show their support for the beloved indie restaurant.
After the event proved to be so successful, with hundreds making their way down and many even struggling to get in, owner Eunji Noh has taken to The Thirsty Korean’s official social media pages to share her “thousand thanks” to the public in a heartfelt message.
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She also explained why the support means to her.
We’ve seen neighbours coming out and offering people in the queue cups of tea. Manchester at its finest.
“A thousand thanks… no no no…. a zillion thanks for visiting us,” Eunji said on social media, as she revealed her difficulty journey to this point after founding the restaurant in 2019.
She continued: “I arrived in Manchester in October 2018. Opened The Thirsty Korean in June 2019, and I was busy for five weeks until lockdown started due to COVID in March 2020.
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“All I had was the money I made over the last five weeks [plus] a Government grant, which I spent on venue lease and standing bills. When I was able to reopen again in June 2020, I had about £700 left in my business bank [which] I had to decide [if I would use to] buy a flight ticket to go back to Korea and drop everything here, no more The Thirsty Korean, or buy minimum ingredients for food and pouring beers as possible just to reopen.”
Eunji explained that she chose the latter of the two choices, but then made a “wrong decision” by working with a marketing company that “didn’t guarantee any outcome” and had to continue not being paid and doing everything she could and using all she had just to “maintain the business”.
She continued: “Since last year, I was hit by energy price hikes and the expensive prices of all imported ingredients. I am very honest here now, I had to put all of my money just to pay electricity bills which was charging us over £1,600 only for three weeks… [and] this year, we are facing alcohol prices being more expensive again.
“This is not only my story. This is what every independent business is going through. Many of them went through much worse and had to close forever.
“I am lucky that I have survived this far.”
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Closing out her statement, Eunji thanked everyone once again for visiting The Thirsty Korean over the weekend, and urged people to continue to “be supportive to local indies” and praised those businesses for helping to make local communities “diverse and beautiful”.
Founded in Los Angeles back in 2007, and making a splash on social media and growing in popularity ever since, Alo is a favourite among wellness enthusiasts and celebrities alike thanks to offering a curated collection of elevated performance and lifestyle apparel for all genders, aiming to blend the best of technical excellence with contemporary fashion.
Designed to inspire ‘mindful movement’ and ‘modern living’, the brand has a strong commitment to mind-body wellness, and even likes to call its stores sanctuaries.
Alo already has a selection of stores in London, but its move to Manchester marks the first time the brand has ventured outside of the capital to elsewhere in the UK, and has chosen to open doors at the Manchester Arndale complex, on the ever-popular New Cathedral Street.
Alo Yoga is opening its first UK store outside of London here in Manchester / Credit: Alo Yoga (Publicity Picture)
Recognised as the home of luxury brands in Manchester – with retailers such as Harvey Nichols, Hugo Boss, and Ralph Lauren already stationed there – Alo is the latest retailer to select New Cathedral Street for its first location in the city.
Alo joins the recently-announced arrivals of Arc’teryx and Represent – the latter of which opened to huge success last October – after signing a 10-year lease.
Asset managers also say Alo’s arrival showcases just how much Manchester has become a ‘magnet’ for fast-growing brands that are keen to access a premium shopper audience.
The luxury activewear and lifestyle brand is moving into New Cathedral Street / Credit: Alo Yoga (Publicity Picture)
“Alo Yoga is a fantastic addition to our retail mix,” commented Scott Linard, who is the Portfolio Director for joint asset managers M&G Real Estate.
“We’re proud to support the growth of innovative brands like Alo Yoga who are seeking high-quality, well-located space to connect with new audiences, and their arrival highlights the strength and diversity of Manchester’s retail offer.”
Steve Gray, who is the Head of European Retail Asset Management at Global Mutual, added: “Welcoming Alo Yoga to New Cathedral Street underlines its reputation as one of the UK’s premium retail destinations.”
No opening date for Alo Yoga in Manchester has been announced yet, so interested shoppers will need to keep their eyes peeled.
Featured Image – Alo Yoga (Press Pictures)
Business
The local property developers helping Mancs buy a home without the large deposit
Emily Sergeant
A North West developer that specialises in creating Shared Ownership homes currently has eight new developments under construction across Manchester.
Getting your foot on theproperty ladder or taking the next step to owning a bigger home can be one of the most challenging things to do and is often not financially viable for a lot of people – and this is whereGecko Homes‘ unique Shared Ownership scheme comes in.
The developer is enabling first time buyers and other qualifying homebuyers to purchase shares in its homes instead.
With deposits from as little as £2,438, the scheme means residents can buy shares ranging from 10% all the way up to 75% instead and then pay rent on the rest, with the option to increase the share percentage at later dates, all the way up to outright ownership.
Gecko Homes is helping Mancs get on the property ladder / Credit: Supplied
As mentioned, the company is currently working on eight new developments across Manchester in some of the city’s most sought-after suburbs, and prospective buyers can now register their interest.
One of the most popular developments currently underway is ‘Tatton Place’ in Sale – which is a redevelopment of a historic Masonic Hall and police station into 31 homes, including two and three-bedroom houses, one and two-bedroom apartments, and several stunning duplexes, all with access to both private and communal gardens.
Another key development is ‘Emerald Way’ over in the popular Manchester suburban town of Chorlton, where prices start from £60,625 for a 25% share, meaning a buyer would only need a deposit of £3,031.
Over in West Didsbury is one of largest ongoing developments called ‘Two Didsbury Point’, which is a £20 million scheme of 76 affordable homes across two connected eight and five-storey blocks – 46 of those being for shared ownership – on the site of the former Withington Hospital, with an outdoor communal terrace and green spaces for residents to enjoy.
Another one of the developments currently in the works that prospective buyers can now register their interest for is ‘Boundary View’, which lies in the thriving Manchester community of Old Trafford.
“Our Shared Ownership model has transformed people’s lives by giving them a way onto the property ladder in a modern, stylish, and high-quality home that they can afford to live in,” explained Christina Tattersall, who is the Head of Sales at Gecko Homes.
Eight developments are currently underway across Manchester / Credit: Supplied
“All of our latest developments are already generating high levels of interest from local people who want to live in some of Manchester’s most popular and vibrant suburbs that all benefit from great amenities and regular transport links.
“Each development will be finished to a very high specification, with contemporary kitchens and bathrooms, as well as luxury floorings and quality fixtures and fittings throughout.”
Residents interested in any of these developments are asked to visit Gecko Homes’ website here to find out more and register their details now.
Prices shown are based on 25% Shared Ownership and a 95% LTV mortgage. All properties are bought as leasehold, with full terms applying, and prices shown may be subject to change and are a guide only.
Emily Sergeant -
22nd August 2023 
