Farley’s Shanghai restaurant dream
LIVERPOOL restaurateur Joe Farley has invested £650,000 in opening a new Chinese restaurant in Wigan.
Mr Farley was the owner of the Shanghai Palace restaurant in Liverpool for seven years before it was subject to a compulsory purchase order in 2007 to make way for the new Mersey Ferry terminal.
He has bought the former Beer Engine pub on Poolstock Lane in Wigan and has begun renovation work to transform the building into a 350-cover restaurant.
Several staff from the old Shanghai Palace will take roles at the new restaurant, including its General Manager Michael Chow. Around 30 staff will be employed by the restaurant when it opens in August.
Mr Farley said: “Since the original Shanghai Palace restaurant closed two years ago we were determined to start afresh at some point. We looked at many different locations across the North West before settling on this venue. Our goal is to recreate the quality of food and atmosphere of the old Shanghai palace in our new location.”
Around £350,000 of funding was provided by The Royal Bank of Scotland’s business and commercial team in Liverpool to support the acquisition and development of the site.
