Restaurant success sees Manchester meanwhile use extended
Capital&Centric and Kamani Property are holding fire on plans to create a £37m, 200-suite aparthotel on Swan Street due to the popularity of Ramona and the Firehouse.
“We’re just going with the flow and letting things happen organically, rather than sticking to some rigid development timetable,” said Tim Heatley, co-founder of Capital&Centric.
“While [the restaurants] are still popular, we’ll probably keep [them] open.”
Manchester City Council approved the developers’ plans last September. Credit: Our Studio
Ramona and Firehouse are run by A Very Inc, a company whose directors are Joel Wilkinson, Dan Mullen and Adelaide Winter. Wilkinson and Winter are former directors of Mission Mars, the hospitality group behind the successes of Rudy’s and Albert’s Schloss.
In early 2021, Manchester City Council granted temporary permission for restaurants on the Swan Street site.
Back then, the intention was for Ramona and the Firehouse to occupy the site as a meanwhile use until Capital&Centric and Kamani Property’s redevelopment project began.
The developers’ plans for 120 apartments – this has since changed to 200 aparthotel suites according to Capital&Centric’s website – on the site were given the green light last September.
However, both Ramona and the Firehouse have proved so popular since opening that the restaurants’ owners have lodged a fresh application seeking consent to make their occupancy permanent.
Heatley said he had had high expectations for the meanwhile use, but admitted the success of the restaurants had exceeded those expectations.
“This is placemaking in action. We worked in partnership with Ramona and Firehouse to breathe new life into a site that had been derelict for a decade and it’s been more successful than we imagined,” he said.
“It’s really helping to create a buzz in this part of the city with over 1,500 punters every day. People don’t want to see it go just yet so plans for a more permanent consent have been submitted to enable it to stay a while longer if we decide to do that. ”
Capital&Centric and Kamani Property will keep the situation under review over the coming months before deciding on what to do with the site in the longer term.
Adam Kamani added: “I think the buzz created around Ramona and Firehouse speaks for itself, this is a thriving independent business operating out of a previously un-loved site.
“The people of Manchester have voted with their feet and clearly want to see the food and drink offering stay. Our roots are in this part of the city and we consider ourselves part of the community, we are really glad to see the success of the site in its current use and want to continue to enable the team at Ramona and Firehouse to do what they do best.”
The developers have until January 2024 to implement the site’s planning consent.
Really……so this has nothing to do with the build costs they have seen recently……a word of warning, about 50% of city centre schemes will be put on hold until construction costs start to normalise!
By justsayitasitis
Overpriced pizza is that popular ! £7 per slice…
By Anonymous
I’m assuming from the wording given here that they don’t have permission for 200 aparthotel suites, and so the retention of the restaurant in effect is allowing them to prepare and submit an application. Or to defer such an application and any subsequent development due to the construction costs raised by ‘justsayitasitis’.
By John Mac
This really says a lot more about the prospects for development in this quickly changing world rather than the success of a restaurant.
By David
I’ve only been once, it cost a fortune for pizza and it was rammed with people too God knows where these revellers get their money from
By Mark Slater
@ Mark Slater
They maybe get their money from employment? The same as ‘revellers’ at any other restaurant/bar. Many of them (including myself) even work in the property/construction industry…
By Pizza