Rigatoni's customers heartbroken as pasta restaurant closes third site in matter of months

People across Greater Manchester have shared their reaction to the news that one of the city’s favourite pasta restaurants Rigatoni’s will be closing a third location in just the matter of a few months.

On Monday (May 20), the popular eatery announced it would be closing its Ancoats site for good this weekend. Owners behind the restaurant said the last 12 months had been 'brutal to say the least' and that they felt they had 'failed' following a recent rebrand.

The restaurant started life in 2015 as Sugo Pasta Kitchen in Altrincham, but was forced to change its name to Sud a few years later. It later underwent a further rebrand at the start of this year, when it changed to Rigatoni’s with a simplified menu only serving one type of pasta.

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Originally with four sites dotted across Trafford and Manchester city centre, Rigatoni’s announced the closure of its Sale restaurant in February followed by the closure of its site at Exhibition in March. After this week’s closure of the Ancoats site, there will be one Rigatoni’s location remaining in Altrincham.

Announcing the news, the restaurant - run by Michael and Alex de Martiis - said the decision to close its Ancoats site came following a ‘massive uphill battle in the midst of conditions that obviously have not been unique to [them]’. Co-owner Alex added in a statement: "The hardest part is that we have failed not just ourselves, but more importantly our customers and our staff, and for this we are truly sorry.”

Responding to the statement on social media, people were divided in their thoughts on the move - however the majority of people said they were ‘heartbroken’ that a prominent venue in the city had been unable to continue to make a success of things.

One person wrote: “Heartbroken for you. Wishing you the very best of luck in whatever the next chapter holds. What a brutal climate for hospitality right now!!” Another said: “Ahh you will be sorely missed in ancoats! But you’re leaving a legacy behind and I’m sure we’ll be flocking to Altrincham!”

Another added: “Very, very gutted to see Ancoats go but we know how hard you've tried to make things work. We'll be there Saturday and if ever we're in deepest, darkest Altrincham we will pop in. Thanks for the memories...and pasta!”

Some customers said they felt the switch of concepts and names may have resulted in a difficulty with some people connecting to the restaurant’s ethos. One person said: “You had the best menu & one of the best dishes I’ve ever had, not sure what’s happened with the name/changing of menu’s millions of times but I hope you get back to what you do best.”

Another wrote: "Loved the little outlet at exhibition. The seafood stew is one of the best things I've ever eaten period the ancoats restaurant never did it for me the vibe was a bit off. Hope this works for you guys tho."

In the statement, Rigatoni's Alex accepted that their attempt to create a concept that focused on affordable, accessible and quality products had 'failed', but will be reverting back to some of the changes that made Sugo Pasta so beloved. Alex added: "We will simply endeavour night and day to be the best possible version of ourselves that we can be, offering a unique experience that will only be found in the walls of our small Altrincham restaurant."

The move was welcomed by many customers, with one person posting: “Great move to revert back to what worked well. The menus at Sugo / Sud were amazing and unrivalled."

Another said: "I think getting back to what made you great in the first place is a great shout, I hope it works out, I always loved the food at Sugo." another added: "So sad but thank the lord you’re returning to your roots and what you [do] best. Will look forward to coming back to Alty and wish you all the luck!”

One other posted: “Absolutely love this restaurant, under all it's guises. The team at Altrincham specifically have always been welcoming, well-informed and friendly. Here's hoping you are able to continue thriving and I'm looking forward to many many more meals there.”

Rigatoni's in Ancoats (Blossom Street, M4 6BA) will close on Saturday (May 25), whilst the Altrincham venue is based at 22 Shaw's Road, Altrincham, WA14 1QU.