We own three successful bars in Manchester - here's our advice
In Manchester Kodo, The Laundrette and The Washhouse are all owned by the same people. Clearly, they are doing something right to thrive in Manchester within the food and drink industry. I spoke to Ben Chapman who is the General Manager of The Laundrette to find out more.
The oldest of the three bars/restaurants, The Laundrette is 10 years old and just celebrated this with a brand new menu:
However, no bar/restaurant out of the three are similar and they all carry different styles.
Ben said: “So, we’ve got The Laundrette in Chorlton which is all about neighbourhood restaurant vibes, carbs and cocktails. We have The Washhouse which is a three floor speakeasy in the heart of Manchester there is now 65 tables and we can fit 300 people in it. And then a little bit more paired back it Kodo which is on the same site as The Washhouse. It’s got cyberpunk music with loads of Japanese influences and anime. It’s really paired back Japanese style bartending with big clear ice blocks and beautiful glassware. So, three very different concepts.”
Kodo is the most recent of the three places as it opened last year in July and is based in Shudehill.
The owners of the bars also have no qualms about replying to negative Tripadvisor comments:
Ben said: “If you’ve got a problem, please let us fix it. But if people nod and smile and say everything’s fine and go straight to Tripadvisor, obviously that upsets us. So, although we do reply to them and sometimes they can be a little bit cheeky, we are an independent business.”
Adding: “We don’t want people to feel like they can’t ask questions or tell us if anything’s wrong.”
Ben also shared his advice for other food businesses, he said: “Any advice I’d have for a new concept or a new business is just know your identity and believe in the product you’re selling. Because if you believe in something you can genuinely sell it to anyone.”
Adding: “It’s a very scary time for the industry, but if you’ve got a good idea, run with it.”