The owner of a popular city center restaurant has issued a desperate appeal for help after announcing its shock closure.
Peru Perdu, based in the Cotton Factory at the Whitworth Locke hotel on Princess Street, will close permanently in early June after the building’s owners were notified. Run by owner Jennifer Hughes, the venue has become as famous for the quality of its food as it is for its strong pink decor.
The South American restaurant, which serves small dishes including sea bass ceviche and Chimmi chicken wings, in addition to main courses such as Argentinian red shrimp, charcoal-marinated half chicken and pastel de papas – a dish consisting of sweet potato in filo pastry, has been running for five years. years and considered by guests to be one of Manchester’s ‘best kept secrets’.
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On social media, Jennifer said she has now been asked to leave the property, which is located opposite the Gay Village and Kampus district. June 6 was the last working day at the location. She described the move as the “final nail in the coffin” for the company.
“Our little South American haven has survived many a Covid lockdown, the rising costs of raw materials, heating and energy, rising staff wages, rising general supplier costs, rent increases and much more that we cannot yet reveal,” says Jennifer. posted on Instagram. “But unfortunately the 30 days’ notice we were given to leave is the final nail in the coffin.
“We would like to thank all our wonderful, hardworking and dedicated employees, as well as our incredibly loyal customers who kept coming back. Thank you to our suppliers, our corporate friends, our events agents who always saw value in what we did and everyone who walked through those pink doors over the past five years.”
The news was received with disappointment by some loyal customers of Peru Perdu. One person replied: “Damn this really hurts, it’s always one of my favorite places in town.” Another said: “So proud of you and what you have created with Peru Perdu! We had the absolute best time here – the food, service and pink decor are perfection.” Another wrote: “My favorite restaurant in Manchester, absolutely gutted.”
Another person said: “I’m devastated!! It was one of my favorite things about visiting Manchester.” Another added: “YOU should be so proud of our perfect little pink spot, @jejehughes. Your team has gone above and beyond to provide Manchester with incredible hospitality; despite all the setbacks and which has made PP one of the city’s most beloved restaurants.”
Speaking to the Manchester Evening NewsJennifer said Peru Perdu will close on June 6 with a closing party with a live DJ to celebrate the restaurant’s legacy over the years. But she hopes the party won’t be the end of the restaurant for good and has launched an appeal for help from the venue’s staff.
“We are so grateful to our wonderful staff who have been the constant heartbeat of our pink restaurant,” said Jennifer. “That’s why we’re asking for a final helping hand from the supportive community of Manchester’s major hospitality companies.
“In order to inform our team about this, we would like to hear if there are any pop-ups in need of quality steak, ceviche and cocktails. We’ve been working on some exciting menu developments lately and we’d love the opportunity to showcase these dishes.
“We started our journey as a three-month pop-up, but after such a warm and successful start we threw down our roots for five amazing years. It now seems that we have to close the circle.”
Jennifer asked that any ideas and questions about pop-up opportunities be sent to hello@cotton-factory.com, or messaged to @peruperdu_mcr on Instagram. Tables for Peru Perdu can be reserved online here before it closes.