Channel 4 star & award-winning chef closes city centre restaurant after 6 years – as he admits ‘we weren't busy enough'
The celeb chef was forced to close another bistro earlier this year
Published: 10:36,
AN AWARD-winning chef has been forced to shut another of his restaurants after a drastic drop-off in bookings.
Gary Usher, who starred in Channel 4's documentary "The Rebel Chef: My Restaurant Revolution", took to Instagram to announce the closure.
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Kala, on King Street in Manchester, has now shuttered its doors after six years of service.
Billed as "Manchester's neighbour bistro", the city centre restaurant marketed itself towards the theatre and opera crowd.
But with bookings falling to half their previous level, Gary said he was left with no choice but to close.
He added that any customers concerned about any vouchers they may have for the restaurant could use it at any other of the chef's sites.
In a statement on Instagram the chef said: 'It's with a heavy heart that I announce the immediate closure of Kala.
"I'm not really sure how to explain why we've closed other than we weren't busy enough to cover our costs.
"I really really want to blame the economy & the pandemic. I really want to say the rising costs have made it impossible.
'All those factors haven't helped but we are 50% down in trade at Kala & that is the killer.
"It goes without saying our business rates increasing substantially & the hike in NIC contributions only works against us.
"This was not planned but neither was us being this quiet in June. All the Kala team will be paid up to date, our rent & suppliers too. If you have a voucher with us, as always it can be used in the wider group.
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'It was always a dream to have a restaurant on King Street in Manchester. I just wish it had lasted longer than six years.'
The fate of the Manchester restaurant follows closely on the heels of the closure of another restaurant in Usher's Elite Bistros portfolio in January this year.
The famed chef opened Burnt Truffle in July 2015 in Heswall, Merseyside.
But at the start of this year Usher said the lease of the restaurant had ended and described the closure as a "sad day".
The cooking star added that he had chosen to not renew the lease as the "honest truth" was that they had "never been able to make it work" at the site.
The closure of Kala leaves Usher with four restaurants remaining in his northern restaurant empire.
Hispi in trendy Didsbury means Usher still has a presence in England's second city.
The other three survivors are Wreck in Liverpool, The Sticky Walnut in Hoole, Cheshire and The White Horse in Churton, Cheshire.
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Usher founded the award-winning Elite Bistros group in 2011 before opening up a string of successful restaurants in the North West.
In 2019, he was the subject of the Channel 4 show The Rebel Chef: My Restaurant Revolution.
The hour-long documentary witnessed Gary's quest to crowdfund £50,000 to build a French-style bistro in Prescot, Merseyside.
That same year he was shortlisted for the coveted Best Restaurateur accolade at the GQ Food and Drink awards.
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