The beloved burger joint Almost Famous has announced it will be closing its doors, succumbing to financial challenges that have become “stacked against us”. The chain, with locations in Manchester, Liverpool, and Leeds, shared the “heart-breaking” news of the abrupt shutdown in a statement from co-founder Beau Myers.
With “tearful eyes”, Myers cited the lingering debts from the coronavirus pandemic, rising costs, and a decrease in people being able to afford dining out as reasons for the closure.
The American-style burger brand had been a fixture in Manchester’s Northern Quarter since its inception in 2012. “Ironically, while our venues remain busy and our reviews are glowing, the financial pressures stacked against us have made it impossible to sustain the business- making this scenario even more heart-breaking,” lamented Mr Myers to the BBC.
He reflected on the brand’s history, noting that it had been at the “forefront of the burger and casual dining scene” for over a decade, serving over a million burgers and hosting numerous guests.
Mr Myers expressed gratitude for having worked with some of the most dedicated and passionate individuals in the hospitality sector. The restaurant is now reaching out to the wider hospitality community to assist their current staff in finding new employment opportunities.
Myers described the team as having “been like family to us” and voiced his deep regret that they couldn’t “deeply sorry we couldn’t weather the storm for you”. He concluded with a glimmer of hope that Almost Famous might make a comeback “holds on to the hope that Almost Famous may return one day in some form”.
“The current economic climate has proven too challenging for us to overcome. The lingering debt from Covid, rising costs across every aspect of the business, and a tightening in people’s ability to spend on dining out have created an impossible situation. Despite our best efforts, we are no longer able to continue. Ironically, while our venues remain busy and our reviews are glowing, the financial pressures stacked against us have made it impossible to sustain the business- making this scenario even more heartbreaking.”
In the statement, he said: “For over 13 years, we’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the most talented and passionate people in hospitality. We will do everything we can to support you during this transition. To everyone who’s been part of our story – thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
“This isn’t how we wanted the story to end, but we are proud of everything we accomplished and the joy we brought to so many. And while we must say goodbye for now, we hold onto the hope that Almost Famous may return one day in some form.”
The chain’s website has today been removed, and replaced with a page displaying the statement in full, the title of the site has also been changed to “THIS IS GOODBYE”. At its peak, the chain had four restaurants, but its Manchester suburb site in Withington closed last year.