Solita will take over the Bombay restaurant on the corner of Bury New Road and Church Lane, Prestwich, following an extensive refurbishment, and opening at the end of May, 2015.
Solita bosses Franco Sotgiu and Simon Pogson have been keen to open in North Manchester for some time, and when the site became available they immediately struck a deal with the landlords.
However, in an unexpected twist, Mary Ellen McTague’s fine-dining restaurant, Aumbry, which is adjacent to the Bombay, has suddenly become available due to the brand’s relocation to the city centre.
Franco and Simon are therefore now working with Aumbry’s landlords, which will see Solita occupying both sites, creating one of the largest restaurants in the area with up to 150 covers and large al fresco dining spaces. A central kitchen, butchery and meat maturing room will be built on site, where a full time butcher will be employed to prepare steaks, burgers and other grill items for all three Solita sites.
Franco commented:
“Prestwich has been in our sights since early last year when we looked at a pub to convert, but the deal fell through. The Bombay gave us an entry to Prestwich but we were always concerned that the site was going to be on the small side for us.
“The unexpected option to deal on the Aumbry site too has been a welcome bonus: Aumbry has a special place for me as it’s where my wife and I had our wedding breakfast – in fact, we were the first couple to do so there.
“Prestwich is a vibrant and thriving village, and we’re glad to be part of its expansion and regeneration, and hopefully our move there will encourage other operators to invest in the area.”
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