Taste of Brazil at the Corn Exchange
BRAZILIAN barbeque restaurant chain Cabana is set to open its first restaurant in Manchester at the iconic Corn Exchange after officially completing this week.
Founded by Jamie Barber and David Ponte, Cabana is Brazilian barbeque.
With six existing restaurants in London, Cabana claims to have established itself as a firm favourite in the capital thanks to their unique brand of soulful barbeque cooking. The opening will be Cabana’s second venture outside of London with an existing restaurant in Leeds.
Launched in 2011 by renowned restaurateurs Barber (Hush, Villandry, Sake No Hana) and Brasilian-born Ponté (Momo), Cabana is expected to reach more than £15m turnover this year and currently employs around 200 people in the UK.
The new 6,000sq ft restaurant will serve Cabana’s best-selling, “killer” Spicy Malagueta Chicken and Sweet Potato Fries, along with Brazilian street food and barbecue skewers grilled fresh to order.
The site will also host a dedicated cocktail bar and private dining room, offering customers authentic Brazilian cocktails, such as tropical fruit flavoured Caipirinhas (including the UK’s first Frozen Caipirinhas) alongside an array of both exotic Brasilian concoctions and classic cocktails, making the Cabana bar the perfect place to party.
Barber said: “The past three years have seen Cabana really take off and we knew the time was right to expand our Brasilian Barbecue offering beyond London.
“Visiting Manchester, it was clear to us that the vibrant city would be the perfect spot to introduce our great music, great cocktails and great chicken. We can’t wait to introduce Cabana to the city and be at the heart of the food and drink scene at Corn Exchange.”
Work began on the historic Grade II listed building in October, 2014 following plans from the Aviva Investors Property Trust, owners of Corn Exchange Manchester, and developers Queensberry Real Estate to revitalise the building and transform it into one of the UK’s best dining facilities.
In addition to Cabana, two of London’s most popular restaurant brands – Mexican street food eatery, Wahaca, and casual Italian restaurant, Vapiano, have confirmed plans to open their first sites outside of the capital.
These will also be joined by firsts for Manchester – casual dining and drinking lounge, The Cosy Club and Banyan Bar and Kitchen.
To further strengthen the dining offering, the line up will include alvi’s as well as a new concept from Individual Restaurant Company. These will transform the historic building into a must-visit destination for food lovers.
Stuart Harris from Queensberry Real Estates, the company overseeing the building’s transformation, said: “Cabana is an excellent addition to the existing portfolio of authentic restaurants confirmed for Manchester’s iconic Corn Exchange. Cabana adds to the truly diverse line-up, one that the people of Manchester and further afield can really get excited about.”
Simon Green from Corn Exchange owners Aviva Property Investors Trust said: “Aviva Investors is delighted to welcome Cabana to Corn Exchange. It’s encouraging to see that this ambitious project has lured the country’s most cutting-edge operators to Manchester. Corn Exchange is set to be a leading dining destination in the North and will undoubtedly benefit Manchester’s economy.”
The building is set to be completed and the first restaurants opening this month.
