Two Manchester restaurants told they can now serve booze after compromise reached

Two south Manchester restaurants can now sell booze after agreement from the council.

Island Lounge near Chorlton Park and Zula in Fallowfield can offer alcohol to their customers after compromising with objectors. Both restaurants reduced the hours they could serve alcohol in order to quash worries from locals in their communities.

Island Lounge, based on Mauldeth Road West, is run by Behnam Daryaeisalameh who came to the UK in 2018 and set up his business this year, the licensing sub-committee heard. He agreed to reduce the Sunday hours of service until 10.30pm for alcohol and agreed to close at 11pm. 

The Sunday hours are the same as those from Monday to Thursday, the only change is on Friday and Saturday – when the family-run restaurant can serve alcohol until midnight and close at 12:30am.

At Zula, based on Platt Lane, Greater Manchester Police and the licensing team raised huge concerns about their request to serve alcohol until 2am in the popular student area. Manchester Town Hall heard how an agreement between the applicant, Habtu Kbreab, and the objectors was made and a reduction was agreed.

The cafe and restaurant, established in 2022, can now serve alcohol until midnight on Friday and Saturday, the sub-committee agreed on October 16. The other days of the week the cut off point for serving booze will be 11pm.

Speaking on the agreements made between parties, chair of the sub-committee, Coun Paul Andrews said: “It makes our jobs easier when you can come to an agreement between yourselves beforehand. With this process, when it works like this, it works so thank you.”