A Chinese supermarket inside a huge food hall in Manchester city centre is to close, it has been announced.
Hello Oriental, at Circle Square off Oxford Road, is spread across three floors and contains an Asian bar, restaurant and bakery, as well as a supermarket specialising in Chinese produce not readily available at major UK outlets.
However, those behind it have announced that the shop is to be shut and repurposed to provide extra space at the venue, the remainder of which is remaining open.
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"After serving as a source of authentic Asian ingredients and specialties, the space housing the Chinese Supermarket is set to close its doors," they said.
"This marks the end of an era for Hello Oriental's supermarket, which has been a go-to destination for food enthusiasts and those seeking unique culinary treasures."
It hasn't been confirmed what will replace the supermarket but the announcement teased plans for 'a gaming hall, featuring pool tables, arcade games, and more'.
Co-owner Ricky Yip said: "We're still evaluating the best way to use the space that will be most enjoyable for our customers. We’re currently looking all over for retro arcade games, we’ve looked at pool tables, we might expand our karaoke offer - but we’ve also considered just opening up the restaurant a bit more too as we’re frequently booked out”
The supermarket will close at the end of January and it is hoped the new space will be ready for Chinese New Year, on February 10. To mark the closure of the store, they are offering a 20 per cent discount off their entire food menu, as well as in the supermarket, which can be claimed on their website.
Situated on the 'Symphony Park' development on Circle Square, off Oxford Road (two floors of which are underground), the ambitious project, which opened its doors in early 2022, cost £2.5 million
It was put together by property developer Azim Kourah and Ricky Yip, who have been friends since meeting at primary school in Oldham.
Yip grew up in the hospitality and wholesale business, his parents running the Chi Yip cash and carry in Middleton and the Ocean Treasure restaurant above it. He then went on to run the likes of the Sakana bar on Peter Street and the K2 karaoke bar in Chinatown.
The venue has been inspired by operations including hipster hangout 1800 Lucky in Miami, as well as the Bang Bang Oriental foodhall in North London.
