Burger & Lobster to close Manchester and Cardiff sites

12 July 2016 by
Burger & Lobster to close Manchester and Cardiff sites

Burger & Lobster is to close its Manchester and Cardiff restaurants and look for smaller sites in the cities.

According to reports in http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/food-drink-news/burger-lobster-restaurant-manchester-closing-11591449" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">The Manchester Evening News, the group has put the lease for both its Manchester and Cardiff sites back on the market and is looking for spaces that provide the intimacy of its original 60-cover Mayfair restaurant in London.

A spokesperson told the newspaper that the 170-cover Manchester restaurant was too large and that the group would seek a site with around 90 covers.

They added: "We haven't put an offer in on anywhere [else] yet because we haven't found the space we need, and because it depends on what happens with the other venues we own.

"We sat down last week to say where we'd start to look, but nothing has been fully decided. We want to do a Burger & Lobster in Manchester but in a smaller venue.

"This and Cardiff were bigger business for us. In London we can probably trade at that size, but there isn't as much footfall and therefore we don't get the Burger & Lobster ambience we're able to create in Mayfair.

"Manchester has been amazing for us. We've learnt a lot and it's a completely different trading pattern and space. We have no intention to leave Manchester at all, and we might evolve the concept a bit."

Burger & Lobster co-founder and director George Bukhov has previously indicated that the Cardiff restaurant had been the group's worst performing site. Speaking at The Caterer's Foodservice Forum in March this year, he said: "Cardiff doesn't seem quite ready for this concept. They have local lobster in Cardiff Bay, but people don't seem interested in it even though it's right there."

The group currently operates 14 UK restaurants nationwide (11 in London), as well as a site in New York and franchises in Stockholm, Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Kuwait.

In June it introduced a menu at its restaurants along with a slightly broader range of sizes and prices than the £20 for a burger or lobster option.

Burger & Lobster introduces menus for the first time >>

Foodservice Forum round-up: George Bukhov, Daniele Quattromini, Philip Newman-Hall and more >>

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