Food & Drink
Manchester’s ‘best Greek spot’ sadly forced to close after 40 years
It’s the end of an era…
One of Manchester’s most beloved Greek restaurants has been forced to close after forty years as a result of the Covid pandemic.
Fallowfield’s Kosmos Taverna, which has long been regarded as one of the best Greek restaurants in Manchester, announced its permanent closure on social media last month, saying that while it had experienced ‘forty successful years’, the pandemic was just too difficult to recover from.
Writing on Facebook, the Wilmslow Road restaurant said: “To all our loyal customers, new and old. It is with a heavy heart we announce that Kosmos Taverna has closed its doors after forty years for its final time.
“The last few years have been extremely difficult with Covid 19, recruitment challenges and the social change of the area. We have had forty successful years with many happy memories and have decided now is the right time to say farewell.
“Thank you for supporting us, it may not be goodbye forever, watch this space. Loulla, Vasos, Solos and Stefanos x”
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, owner Loulla Astin further explained why she cannot afford to keep going in the current climate, saying it became a choice between ‘my health or the Kosmos.’
She said: “The last two years with Covid 19 and all the restrictions, the business has dropped dramatically and I had to introduce money from my [savings] to keep the business afloat… I was getting stressed with sleepless nights, it was my health or the Kosmos.”
Mrs Karlina / Trip Advisor
She added that as a result of the pandemic, she only had ‘five or six’ people working at the restaurant, noting that two members of staff, the chef and a waiter have been with at the business for twenty-five years.
However, Loulla hopes this isn’t the end for Kosmos, saying she has kept ownership of the business’s name and the building.
She explained: “We took a gamble and it worked, we bought the building, thank god. I’m hoping I can rent it to another restaurant. I’m keeping the name Kosmos, maybe if my kids win the lottery.”