London steak chain picks Manchester for first regional site 

Flat Iron wants to open its first restaurant outside the capital on the corner of Deansgate and Quay Street in a unit that has been occupied by Blacks since 1997. 

The outdoor clothing company is due to close its doors after 26 years, paving the way for the London-based steak restaurant to take over the 5,000 sq ft store on the ground floor of CEG’s grade two-listed Royal London House. 

Flat Iron, which was founded in 2012 and operates 12 restaurants across the capital, has selected Manchester for its first regional venture. 

The company would join a growing list of restaurants on Deansgate, including Hawksmoor, also known for its steak, which is located just a few doors down in the Courthouse. 

According to documents lodged with Manchester City Council, Flat Iron “principally serves beef grown in extensive or regenerative systems, typically raised on small family-run farms in the UK and Ireland”. 

WSP is advising Flat Iron on planning matters.  

To learn more about the plans, search for application reference number 136700/AO/2023 on Manchester City Council’s planning portal. 

Deansgate is becoming something of a hub for London-based restaurants. 

In 2015, having established itself in the capital, Hawksmoor opened on the street. In 2021, Place North West reported that Mayfair –founded, high-end Asian restaurant Sexy Fish was planning to take over the former Armani unit in Spinningfields. 

Chotto Matte, a Japanese-Peruvian venture, has also committed to opening its first regional site in Manchester – within the St Michael’s development, just off Deansgate.