GALLERY | First Street car park set for rooftop dining
Buzz Ventures has proposed an 11,000 sq ft dining venue for the roof of the Q-Park at First Street, featuring eight restaurants and three bars in a mix of indoor and outdoor seating.
Named Roofff, the scheme is targeted at the casual dining market. The change of use application submitted to Manchester City Council includes the construction of a wooden pergola, which Buzz has designed as a “botanical pavilion”, with capacity for 400 people, and a further 250 seats situated outside.
Entry would be via the car park, with a lift taking punters up to level 10.
The venue will feature food stalls offering vegan, Japanese, steaks, fresh seafood, all-day breakfast and a dessert café, as well as live music and entertainment.
Roofff is set to open in early 2020.
Click any image below to launch gallery
Let’s hope this comes to fruition, I can see it being very popular.
By York Street
Whilst I love ideas like this, I fail to see how it will continue to attract customers once the novelty wears off. Look at the failure of the restaurants in the Great Northern Warehouse – and that had the cinema to at least draw people up. There are examples of failures like this all over the world, why would people go into a car park, find a lift, then go up when there is so much on the ground floor? The only time I have seen these things survive is when they have a direct and clear escalator taking the people to the top in one swift sweep, but 10 floors is probably too high for this (Skygardens in Sydney is one example and MyZeil’s huge escalator in Frankfurt is another)
By EOD
Manchester needs more rooftop venues like Headrow House or Oh Me Oh My
By Conor
Do you live a sheltered life EOD? Have you ever been to London where places like this are constantly packed with people. Plans for this are amazing and we need more of this in Manchester. Casual dining in Manchester is really starting to take off; Hatch and Mackie Mayor are prime examples – I haven’t seen the novelty wear off at these places.
By Anonymous
I hope they use real plants and trees rather than plastic that just ends up in the landfill. These places can combine nature with leisure in city centres.
By Shaun
I give it one summer season.
By Optimist
Will their be ‘Drive Thru’ service as well?
By UnaPlanner
Great idea, very similar to Pergola in London and that was ridiculously popular. First Street already create a great atmosphere in the warmer months and this will only galvanize its status as a real destination for Mancunians and visitors alike.
By brutalist
Any chance they could reclad this monstrosity whilst they’re at it?
By Munter
Went to a cocktail bar on the top of a car park in Lisbon – more like the Arndale car park than First Street. The lift (not deliberately graffiti covered) had a certain odour but the bar was packed and atmosphere great – and it rained! Not sure this venue could sustain a number of food outlets but bring it on.
By Allotmentlad
I think this shows the failure of First Street at ground level! Since when did a Pizza Express draw in footfall in this day and age? I’m sure it has a great covenant behind it but really its these niche kind of developments that really get people buzzing. The big developers, regeneration professionals and funders need to start thinking about independents because they are often the real draw for people.
By NT
It rains a lot in Manchester so will they supply an umbrella or do you bring your own?
By Liver fella
Liverfella/Merswy – stop trolling
By Anonymous
Apparently we can’t have one of these in the new Chester Northgate development because it’s too difficult.
Shame because the views from the top across to Wales are stunning, but hey.. the development team know best!
By Tim Kenney
Imaginative and bold, but a retracting roof is needed to cope with the rain.
By Liver lad