Gary Usher is closing his bistro Hispi in Didsbury next month, when it will be taken over by fellow northwest chef Andrew Sheridan’s Open Restaurant Group and relaunched as a live-fire restaurant called Arcadia. The new owners have pledged to retain all Hispi staff, so there will be no job losses.
For Gary, whose Chester-based Elite Bistros was famously built around crowdfunded venues, the closure represents a retreat from Manchester, following the closure of Kala in the city centre last summer.
He said: “My time at Hispi has come to an end. We’ve had an amazing 10 years.
“We are passing the baton over. You’ve probably seen the amazing restaurateurs Sam Morgan and the chef Andy Sheridan. They are opening some incredible restaurants and we know it’s in good hands.
“I’d like to think we’ve left an incredible legacy here. This has been a special place. I’m grateful to all the team, past and present. Thanks to the original crowd funders, 10 years ago.
“We look forward to hearing from Open Restaurant Group about what their plans are with Hispi.”
Open Restaurants has grown rapidly to become the region’s biggest independent group under Sam, the CEO, and Andrew, whose flagship is restaurant 8 in Liverpool. They also have venues in Chester, Oxon, Prestatyn and Worcestershire, and are opening a big new restaurant called The Counter in Manchester city centre in September.
Sam says he is “thrilled” at the acquisition of Hispi. “We’d like to pay tribute to Gary and his team. Elite Bistros has been an incredible company that’s fed the people of the Northwest over the past decade. We’re looking forward to working with the Hispi team and we’ll be making sure there are no job losses as we pick up the baton.
“We’re delighted to become custodians of a well-respected restaurant and we have an exciting vision for its future.”
Andy added: “Gary’s described Open Restaurant Group as being on a roll and we’re delighted to be opening another restaurant in the Northwest.
“The region has a really exciting restaurant scene and we’ll be revamping the venue before we open the doors to the public. It’ll be a new menu and a new challenge but the same good vibes that Hispi has brought to the area for the past 10 years.”
Hispi’s final service will be on take place on Sunday 9 August, with Arcadian officially opening on Friday 28 August.