Tameside

Sacha Lord calls for general election after yet another Greater Manchester restaurant closes for good

This time it's a restaurant at the heart of Droylsden's regeneration that's closed down

Daisy Jackson - 10th August 2023

Sacha Lord has long been vocal about the Government’s treatment of hospitality in the UK – and it appears that the last closure in the region has really tugged at his heart strings (and flipped his rage switch).

The Night Time Economy Adviser has demanded a general election after learning of the closure of a popular neighbourhood restaurant in Droylsden.

He said that the news that Industry, which had been at the heart of the Tameside town’s regeneration, had shut down was ‘heartbreaking’.

The restaurant and bar said that they can no longer stomach the ‘crippling’ costs of running a business in 2023 – from energy bills to VAT increases – without charging customers ‘extortionate prices’.

The team behind Industry said it was a decision that hadn’t been made lightly and that they were ‘devastated’ to have to close their doors.

The restaurant had even managed to survive a turbulent first year after opening in 2020 – and we all know what went down then.

Sacha has slammed the current Government once again for their lack of support for hospitality businesses.

He said that the Tories are allowing ‘communities to break up and High Streets to fall apart’.

The Parklife boss wrote on Twitter: “Heartbreaking. I met the team at Industry last year, they were lovely. Again, citing Energy as a factor. This Gov’t don’t care about Hospitality. Under their watch communities are breaking up, our High Streets are falling apart. We urgently need a General Election.”

Droylsden restaurant Industry’s full statement said: “It is with the heaviest of hearts we have to say that Industry has closed its doors for the final time.

“Industry started as an idea between three friends of opening a nice little bar where you could have a drink and get a bite to eat….the reality became so much bigger than that and exceeded all of our expectations.

“Opening at the height of a global pandemic was an enormous challenge and we had so many hurdles to jump just to stay open. In our first year, we were only allowed to open 5 months out of 12 but we powered through because we believed in our vision.

“Since then, plenty of blood, sweat and tears, from both us and our incredible team, has gone in to making Industry what it has been to date. Sadly, crippling energy bills, spiralling overheads, lack of government support and VAT/tax increases have made our ‘little’ idea unsustainable, without having to charge extortionate prices.

“Please do not think that this is a decision which has been made lightly. We are devastated and we would be grateful if any negative comments could be kept away. We know we haven’t been perfect, but we can assure you that we always tried our best without any regrets.

“Thank you to all our customers for your support over the last few years. Seeing people come in and enjoy what we created has been the best part of this whole experience.

“Last but by no means ever least, thank you to all of our amazing team, both past and present. We are forever grateful for your hard work, dedication and loyalty to us and to Industry. Mike, Paul and Andrew.”

Featured image: Industry Droylsden