Rigatoni’s, the new pasta restaurants born from the Sud rebrand, has announced the closure of one of its sites.
The business formerly known as Sugo, and latterly as Sud, confirmed today that its Sale restaurant is closing with immediate effect.
Sud Pasta founders Michael and Alex de Martiis decided to rebrand the restaurants as Rigatoni’s in a bid to create a ‘sustainable business’ that would stand the test of time.
With Rigatoni’s, they created a menu of hearty pasta dishes which were priced from just £7.50, each featuring pasta made fresh on site daily.
All four Sud Pasta sites – Ancoats, Altrincham, Sale and Exhibition, took on the new brand at the start of this year.
But already, and sadly, the Sale restaurant is no more.
Rigatoni’s wrote that they had been unable to ‘navigate our way through those financial challenges’ that are facing the entire hospitality industry.
In their statement they also urged customers to continue supporting the other local independents that are still trading from Stanley Square.
Rigatoni’s Sale posted today: “Dear valued customers and community. It is with a genuinely heavy heart that we announce the closure of our restaurant in Sale with immediate effect.
Rigatoni’s is closing its Sale restaurant
“We want to express our deepest gratitude for your support in Sale since 2022. This decision we hope you will understand, was not an easy one.
“It is no secret that the hospitality industry, like many others, has faced huge challenges in recent times. Sadly, specifically in Sale and despite our best efforts, we haven’t been able to navigate our way through those financial challenges. Please continue to support your local businesses!
“As we say goodbye to Sale, we want to take a moment to acknowledge our dedicated staff, who have worked tirelessly. Their passion and hard work have been the backbone of our restaurant in Sale.
“You can continue to enjoy Rigatoni’s at our restaurants in Altrincham & Ancoats, as well as our kitchen at Exhibition in the city centre. And you don’t need us to tell you there’s a cracking set of shops, bars and restaurants in Stanley Square that we will continue to support.
“Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts for being a part of our journey; we will greatly miss serving the Sale community.
“Please divert any enquiries to hello@letsrigatoni.co.uk”
Lively Irish pub Nancy Spains set to open in Manchester for the first time
Daisy Jackson
An Irish bar famed for its live music is heading up to Manchester for the first time, and is promising £2.50 pints to lure us in.
Nancy Spains will be venturing out of London for the first time promising to bring the ‘ultimate traditional Irish pub experience’ to the Northern Quarter.
If you were to ask what the hottest trend in hospitality is right now the answer would, apparently, be Guinness. We’re drowning in the stuff.
This latest opening is more about Murphy’s, another Irish stout, than Guinness (they actually won’t serve Guinness at all) but the craic will be much the same.
Nancy Spains is actually set to open almost directly opposite the aforementioned Salmon of Knowledge, taking over the former Corner Boy unit on Stevenson Square in the heart of Manchester.
To celebrate its opening, the pub will be serving its first 5000 pints of Murphy’s for just £2.50, so that it can show off the atmosphere that’s established it as ‘one of London’s favourite pubs’.
They’re promising an array of Irish whiskeys behind the bar, live music performances, and a lively late-night setting.
Nancy Spains was set up by three brothers who travelled all over their home county of rural Kerry researching Irish pubs, before launching two venues down in London.
They want it to balance a traditional pub with the vibrancy of the city.
Peter O’Halloran, co-founder of Nancy Spains commented, “We’re so excited to be launching in Manchester, bringing Nancy Spains to the heart of the Northern Quarter.
“After the success of our two venues in London, it was only right to bring Nancy Spains’ infectious spirit and Irish pride to Manchester. Slainte!”
Nancy Spains will open its first Manchester pub on Saturday 15 March at 21 Hilton Street.
Lucky Mama’s – The Italian restaurant serving pasta in a dough bowl and ‘pregnant’ pizzas
Daisy Jackson
Lucky Mama’s is a local sensation, thanks to its slightly whacky but delicious Italian creations like pasta served in a bowl made of pizza dough and its latest offering, a ‘pregnant’ pizza.
What on Earth is a pregnant pizza, you ask? Firstly we should stress this is a nickname we’ve bestowed upon the dish, rather than Lucky Mama’s chosen branding.
But essentially it’s a helping of fresh pasta that’s folded into the bubble crust of the pizza, like a half-calzone.
Lucky Mama’s started life when founders Mamadou Dhiam and Gaby Santos set up a trailer in their backyard in Eccles in the depths of lockdown.
But thanks to a formidably loyal following that’s spread the word of Lucky Mama’s far and wide, it now has two pretty pink restaurants in Greater Manchester.
Back in 2022, they threw open the doors to their Chorlton restaurant, before returning back to home turf for spot number two in Monton in 2024.
The recipes are fresh and pretty authentically Italian up until the last step, when they throw a curveball by loading their pasta into unconventional vessels.
‘Pregnant’ pizzas at Lucky Mama’sTraditional Roman pizzasLucky Mama’s pink restaurant in Chorlton
Their pasta pizza bowls are what they’re best known for and they fly out of the kitchen – this is where pizza dough is placed around a metal bowl before being baked in an oven.
Then it’s piled high with freshly made pasta, with popular flavours like cacio e pepe, mushroom alfredo, and rasta pasta.
Pasta is available in a regular ceramic bowl too.
You’ll find Lucky Mama’s at 565 Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton; and 217 Monton Road in Eccles.
Daisy Jackson -
5th February 2024 
