Corn Exchange reopening begins
The first restaurants within the revamped Corn Exchange in Manchester city centre have opened, while owner Aviva Investors has hired Mark Schofield as general manager to oversee the phased launch.
The £30m renovation of the grade two-listed Corn Exchange by Aviva and redevelopment manager Queensberry Real Estate into a “casual dining cluster” began last summer and is now reaching completion. The 12 restaurants will open in stages over the next two months.
Previous tenants Zizzi, Pizza Express and Cosy Club have reopened, while Pho is due to launch next week.
Early September will see the opening of Wahaca, Mowgli and Byron, followed by Banyan, Salvi’s and Tampopo later in the month. The final two restaurants, Cabana and Vapiano, will complete in October.
Schofield has joined the Corn Exchange after 30 years’ experience within the retail, shopping centre and customer services sectors.
He worked at Marks & Spencer between 1988 and 1990, and again as regional operations manager in 1996 following the Manchester bombing.
In addition, he held the position of deputy centre manager at Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet for 10 years.
He said: “The iconic grade two-listed building is a real historic treasure within the city and has seen a huge transformation as part of the £30m redevelopment work undertaken by Aviva Investors and Queensberry Real Estate.
“With an eclectic mix of cuisine, including two of London’s most popular restaurant brands, Wahaca and Vapiano, who open their first sites outside of the capital, I’m sure Corn Exchange will quickly establish itself as a key dining destination within the region.”
The Corn Exchange will also include a Roomzzz Aparthotel, which will consist of 114-apartments. The hotel is due to open in October 2016.
