Suburb: an update on the closure

Anonymous says.." yes, suburb is easily the best coffee shop in town! Friendly, good coffee and very relaxed - perfect"

Rob Cotterill says.." Ahh. Misread that as "Subway" and was a little surprised. Normality has beenn restored."

Anonymous says.." Shame that this came out on the day of their demise.... (or so our IT developers said when they returned empty handed after their morning coffee stroll yesterday) please lets not allow another Starbucks or Nero's to open in its place. Few independents seem to be capable of surviving other than in the NQ. What does this say for Manchester Gordo?"

Richard says.." a notice of forfeiture was on the front window of "Suburb " yesterday .Interesting Katrina"

Anonymous says.." I can't believe it is gone - It was the only place where I could disappear from Manchester and imagine I was in Manhattan. Can anyone recommend a similar experience in Manchester City?"

Adele says.." No, depressingly there is nothing similar. Suburb was respite from the brashy chains who have now won. It was also the best coffee in town. I'm an addict but I'd rather give up than step inside Nero's with it's faux Italian-ness and don't get me started on Starschmucks..."

Sad Suburb Fan! says.." This weeks article on Suburb is all well and good. However, on arriving at Suburb for one of their gorgeous smoothies yesterday, I noted they've closed down! Such a shame! Does anyone know if they've gone for good?? xx"

Tristan says.." Gutted. Lost many a lunch time and early evening in Suburb, was perfection in a coffee cup and I really hope this isn't the end for them. I'm not really a fan of the fair trade killing Star-rubbish or Costa Copy."

Jane says.." Yet another independent pushed out of the city. It's always the same for coffee shops, restaurants, bars and pubs that are independently owned. MCR City Council are turning this city into another faceless high street - albeit bigger than most. The rates and rents charged are unsustainable for small businesses and the city centre, particularly Deansgate, has undergone the 'Tescofication' treatment over the last few years. I cannot name one decent restaurant on Deansgate and now, not one decent coffe shop. This is a diverse, eclectic and vibrant city and the bars, coffee shops and restaurants should reflect that. As it is we have two Cafe Nero on Deansgate alone and I can count at least four Starbuck's within a five minute walk of Deansgate/Bridge Street. Just don't get me started on the countless chain restaurants that litter this street............"

Jane says.." Have to apologise - there's Evuna at the far end of Deansgate which is still flying the independent flag"

Paulo W says.." Suburb is definitely the best coffee shop in town. Great music, cool looking staff, unpretentious customers. An oasis on Deansgate! If they're indeed closing, that's a real shame. I go there every weekend to browse the net and just chill for a bit."

Anonymous says.." Perhaps they will move to the cheaper rental area of Northern Quarter - where only independents are allowed in (for now!!). Manchester Confidential can you please ask ex-Suburb owners where they are going next - they have to relocate somewhere else otherwise I shall have to migrate."

Anonymous says.." Last time I was in there they made me a cappuccino with a sprinkling of chocolate in the shape of a heart on it. They didn't have to do that. Nero's don't. Sad to see them go - hope they can open somewhere else. Deansgate is just dull, dull, dull now, cos the rents are too high to support independent shops"

John says.." Here we go with the chain bashing again ... I work close by a Starbucks and a Nero both of which are miles better than the unnamed Indie that used to be there with its lacklustre service and nasty coffee. THAT SAID - Suburb was truly supreme amongst Manc coffee shops. Cool location, great staff and coffee/tea range, art - and crucially free wifi. Some day all coffee shops will be like Suburb. Has the London branch shut too??"

Fi says.." Interesting juxta position there John. Someday all coofee shops will be like Suburb? That's the point. Whilst chains, be it restaurants, bars or coffe shops, continue to dominate every town and city, places like Suburb don't stand a chance"

Mark Newton says.." Traversity! Fantastic coffee, friendly staff and eclectric mix of music. This coffee shop is one of the best in Manchester not just the city centre. Has been a lunchtime haven for the past 2 years, struggling for alternatives."

Sean says.." Had to send SMS messages around the world informing friends of the demise of Suburb. Where else do you take visitors to show them the true Manchester! Suburb RIP you will be missed"

Howard says.." Indeed Suburb will be a massive loss. That said I'll bet it didn't close because there were too many customers. This is beginning to sound like the thousands of people that claim to have been at the seminal Sex Pistols gig at the Free Hall that sparked the Manchester music revolution! In reality the crowd numbered just a few score. Let's be honest with ourselves and ask how often did we actually go and how much did we spend? I'll answer for me. Not enough! Sorry Suburb."

James says.." @ John, it's not the quality of places it's just their identikit nature. Every Starbucks or Neros is almost exactly the same worldwide. Same furniture, same chairs, same coffee and same art. It's tiresome, not to mention their strangelehold on fair trade suppliers and rip off prices. £3.50 for a cup of coffee is ridiculous. It's sad Suburb didn't make it, you have to wonder if they'd have made it in one of the prime spots taken by up by one of the 4 Starbucks along Deansgate."

Anonymous says.." If Suburb had actually survived and being making lots of profit then surely it would have opened more branches and eventually become a chain (obviously Starbucks didn't start out with 4 cafes a street). If this happened people would instead hunt out another 'indie' coffee shop, which isn't allowed to become internationally successful. We live in a capitalist society theres no point everyone continuously moaning about it its just the way it goes!am sure all of these starbucks haters buy most of their clothes in big chain stores and don't make them themselves or buy from independent designers.I agree with Howard everyone's moaning about its closure but maybe you didn't show it enough support."

Ben says.." The people of Manchester make me laugh so much sometimes! The second an independent store, coffee shop or somewhere like the NQ (which to be frank, looks like a shanty town regardless of how good the bars are)sprouts up, everyone throws on their "chain store boho chic," and totters on down in their thousands to these places in the belief that its cool and like having a little piece of London in Manchester. Whilst Suburb was good, and nicely done up, Coffee is Coffee and Business is Business..."

Neil says.." Got to agree with the last few comments. It was a good place for a coffee but not exactly ground-breaking. Nice enough design but pretty uncomfortable seats, OK service but nothing fantastic, nice coffee and the last time I went I sat outside with an uncleaned table for about half-an-hour. You can knock the chains as much as you like but at least with those you know you'll get a certain standard of cleanliness. As for the independents on Deansgate, don't forget Pizzeria Italia, D'mitris, that African place and a couple of coffee/sandwich bars (History?)."

Ben says.." QUICK EVERYONE-a new "indepentantly funded," public toilet facility is opening in the northern quarter-grab your skinny jeans and hop to it before it becomes too comercial!!!"

Mr X says.." This is bloody brilliant marketing! Publish a good review on ManCon, make it look like you've closed down and when you re-open next week, you're flooded with people wanting to know what exactly it was they nearly missed out on... top move Schofield! x"

ancoats girl says.." Re: cleanliness, I have to disagree. I have often been chain coffee shops that have had sticky tables and piles of used cups when it's busy. (London Starbucks are probably the worst ones though!)"

gareth says.." If suburb has shut over rent it is an absolute disgrace, aside from the Northern Quarter Manchester is fast become a clone city full of naff bars and dreary shops (aside from intro and a few others). I attended one of suburb's recent acoustic sessions which was brilliant, great music and a great crowd bringing a creative edge to a part of the city normally full of not a lot! It will a real shame if it does not re-open, greedy landlords have a lot to answer for. Rant over"

The Barton Arcade Trust says.." As humble landlords of the Suburb cafe can I point out a few real truths about the circumstances surronding the closure of this cafe. Fact 1 The rent on this shop has not increased since April 2004. It's a busy pitch and there are lots of operators very keen to get on it. Fact 2. The tenant in question has not paid any rent or service charge on this unit for a very long time (and I will spare the fellows blushes by not saying how long) Fact 3, and this is a fact, we have bills to pay as well and we like to honour them. The Arcade in which this shop sits changed hands in February and I can tell you we like cool and innovative tenants that add to Manchester's mix of shops and cafes, all we ask is that they pay for the space we let to them, not so unreasonable is it? This is of course, on the QT, off the record, and very hush hush. "

badge says.." it's a shame there are just too many people who are consumer compliant and head to starbucks and their like. anybody who really enjoys coffee,and has been to suburb,will agree it's the best coffee in town. hopefully if they do close in deansgate,they will open up elsewhere in the city. meantime,try 'drip' in the northern quarter if you don't want to give in to the chains. "

Barbarella says.." I had my first Suburb Manchester experience last Friday and by Monday the Barton Arcade Trust (BAT for short, missing the S between A and T, and another A, R, D, and S at the end) had shut it down. And so my very first visit to Manchester was tainted by the knowledge that, in the midst of so many chains, so much homogeneity in the center of the city (i mean, are you TRYING to look like the steaming corporate-owned bowels of Middle America? or is this just an urban planning mishap?), one of the few cool places i saw was gone 3 days later, without a word, without negotiation, without intelligent, professional dialogue. Listen, take it from a self-exiled American -- you DO NOT want your country looking like most of mine does... do you? Someone needs to stand up for the little guys, the individuals who are trying in their small ways, without a corporation behind them, to create and foster a sense of community and provide a venue for young artists and musicians to showcase their work. If there's any justice in the world, the Manchester City Council will take sides with Suburb against whichever fatcat decided to throw them out. If not, you are all in danger of living in a city that most closely resembles... a strip mall in Kansas. Shame on you BAT! "

secret squirrel says.." Ist rule of retail;pay your landlord! "

James says.." I thought the first rule of retail was sell things to customers?"

Adele says.." What a depressing week, after mourning the closure of Suburb I have been on an endless journey to find a decent alternative. So far, Cafe Nero - expensive, awful, bitter coffee that tastes like filter, M & S, not bad, just a shame about the attitude of the staff (the downstairs cafe - you know who you are and no one has a gun to your head to work there) Deli France , again, not bad, good price but still not a patch on Suburb. The quest continues, I'll give you posted. Any suggestions? And is that BArton Arcade Trust posting genuine or what? It seems highly unprofessional to me... "

Richard says.." Adele - do you really believe that by not paying any rent to BAT but serving all the ranting anti chain gangs Suburb served any useful purpose .... maybe we might all open wondrous retail operations at the expense of others . Well done BAT for fighting back"

anthony mckendry says.." Suberb was a very delightful coffee shop alas not as delightful as randalls off St Annes square."

Mr Balance? says.." If they've not paid their rent I suppose it's inevitable. I doubt if the cafe was ever intended as a charity or govt-sponsored arty hangout. But it is a great, great shame. I loved that place for many reasons: decent coffee, free wifi (not your surf and sip racket), and staff who didn't seem to hate you. In fact it was the choice of staff that made it so welcoming. And unlike many cafes, they didn't come and clear your table the moment the last bit of coffee has been drunk (or before, like Katsouri's!). I'm not particulalry anti-chain, either. There's nothing inherently bad about a chain as long as it conducts itself properly. Yes, the seating and tables could have been a bit better maintained; yes, at Christmas the whole place becomes a sales outlet for a pretty dodgy, quite pushy and ever-present photographer; yes, their vegetarian selection was a bit limited ... but the success of a place depends on which way the balance tips, and Suburb's lovely staff and the general ambience of the place made it a favourite of anyone who visited it. I hope the staff have been paid ..."

Ben says.." In response to the comments about BAT being "bastards," I have to say hands up for making me piss myself laughing! I can just imagine the BAT board meeting, "Oooh, Suburb havent paid rent in a while...what should we do? I mean, they are independant after all, their coffee's nice and they do showcase local talent....yeah, lets just leave them be!""

Barbarella says.." my dear ben. if this is a rant section, then let me rant. actually, they played dirty. maybe you don't know what you're talking about. hmmm?"

Ben says.." As I said before my sweet, sweet Barbarella, business is business. If playing dirty is closing down a business for not paying their rent, then i'd really be interested to hear your definition of "playing dirty.""

beeboy says.." its ok, we need more quality independant tea shoppes"

Teddy Memory says.." Actually, didn't that Oliveira (or whatever) next to the Barton gates close down not long ago? I see a pattern developing. Then again, that place never really caught on, did it? I went there once and the portions were so-so and the coffee wasn't great either ... "

Enzo says.." went there a few times and found everything to be cool. Great coffees and lots of immediate culture. I love the NY-MAN connection anyway so this is def somewhere worth saving."

coffee says.." best coffee in Manchester is Love Saves The Day. Suggest you all get away from that end of the city and try some."

Mr X Saves The Day says.." I'd agree with "coffee" on that one actually, partly because I really fancy one of the girls working in there (!) but it's not really practical to pop down to if you're working in the city centre proper! "

Charlie Jones says.." I hate the market dictates crowd that supports every other shop being a starbucks with their faux chill but for an independent to survive it has to exceed expectations. Particularly when paying Deansgate rents. So what was our real experience of suburb? Very cool, very local but tables left dirty, really grumpy manager and a sense that they didn't deserve that extra half mile to support their survival. Independents can and do succeed, look at Grinch et al, but need to look at off pitch sites and over performance. Shame about suburb but no surprise."

neil says.." Mr X...are you talking about the Northern Quarter LSTD? If so...I know exactly who you mean. Not wanting to turn this into stalkers corner or anything but the staff are lovely!"

Neil Roland says.." As the photographic artist who so much appreciated the three long exhibitions given to me by the excellent Suburb, I feel I should say that while my Manchester photographic artwork was bought by a fantastic cross section of local society, and the ambience of Suburb was superb, the rant on this page describing me as 'a bit dodgy' could, I feel be construed as a libel. I am quite happy for people to criticise my work, but the suggestion of 'dodgy' indicates something less than totally kosher, and that, I'm afraid, is libellous. If the writer has a problem, perhaps he should spell it out. Me thinks perhaps some jealousy has crept in to this 'report' - that being as it may, I'm hugely sorry to see this terrific place disappear, and would like to thank the wonderful staff for creating a unique and really winning atmosphere in a place which won't soon be forgotten. "

Simon says.." Sad to see Suburb go. However Drip Coffee in the Northern Quarter has to be the next best independent, great coffee and good food, really chilled out."

Natalie says.." I have recently moved to Australia and news travelled to me about the closure of Suburb... I am devasted, even from this far afield. The coffee was superb, Sound of the Suburb - one of the best Sunday Avo gigs ever, and free WIFI... the place was hit! What a shame!"

Vicki says.." Have to agree with Drip being the next best coffee bar. At least as consolation you could mourn Suburb and pop next door to Lammars for happy hour and more ranting & wailing. "

Anonymous says..“ CHECK OUT MOOCOW coffee just up John Dalton Street is a perfect alternative to Suburb if only a little on the small side - But guess size is everything when it comes to Independents and paying the rent! Tres cool and European feel though! LURVE it! ”

slim says..“ Suburb and the staff were/are great but it is the old story,use it or lose it. When did you last use one of the last remaining independent boutiques in the Northern Quarter or The Barton arcade ? Will you support them when they are gone ? MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL INDIE SHOPPERS !”