STACK’s scaled down Manchester venue edges towards launch

More than three years after the leisure operator announced it would be taking over the former Hatch site from Bruntwood, revised plans for the venture have been approved. 

Hospitality operator STACK, part of Danieli Group, announced plans to take over the shipping container dining and entertainment destination Hatch on Oxford Road in September 2023. At that time, STACK had planned to open the following year. 

The operator obtained planning consent for the scheme in 2024 but issues relating to below-ground utilities and their maintenance access arrangements delayed the opening and forced a redesign, which has seen the scheme scaled back.

The original proposal sought permission for 17 food units and seven bars. The revised plans approved this week are for eight food units and four bars. 

A statement provided by Bruntwood when it handed over the site to STACK stated that the site would reopen with “a larger footprint, providing more opportunities for traders in the city”. However, the reduction of units means that the number of traders operating from the site will be lower than when it operated as Hatch. At the time of its closure in 2023, there were around 10 food vendors.

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News this summer, STACK said it intended to follow through on a promise to offer former Hatch traders to return to the rebranded space.

Plans for a stage for events – a feature of Hatch – remain in the updated proposals.

STACK was contacted for comment. 

To learn more about the plans, search for reference number PLA-2026-001073 on Manchester City Council’s planning portal. 

Savills is advising on planning matters and Dunwoodie Swift Architects is leading on design. 

STACK is due to open its 2,000-capacity Wigan venue this month. It also has venues in Newcastle, Middlesborough, and Seaburn. The hospitality operator has shelved proposals for Durham and Whitley Bay.