Viral pasta bar announces £60k crowdfunder as plans to open new restaurant revealed

The team behind a viral pasta spot has issued announced a major update as part of its expansion. Onda, a pasta pop-up that's taken social media by storm has now launched a crowdfund campaign to launch its first permanent restaurant.

Last month, Onda closed its pop-up at The New Cross Bar on the edge of the Northern Quarter and Ancoats. It then announced plans to open a new space at the Circle Square development on Oxford Road.

The popular pasta bar soared to fame in September after a video of its ‘tiramisu drawer’ went viral. The clip, seen by more than 30 million people and shared by thousands - including Hollywood actor Florence Pugh - featured its dessert drawer that contains a huge slab of tiramisu ready for chefs to scoop up to order during service.

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In a post shared to social media earlier this week, chef Sam Asley-Dean, who has previously worked at Claridge's and Chez Bruce before, explained that they're now looking to raise £60,000 to ensure the new restaurant can become a reality.

They wrote: "Right then! Bit nervous about this but we need to raise £60,000 to help open our first restaurant.

"To do this, we're selling vouchers at a discount in advance. In return for your support you'll get an extra 20% to spend when you visit Onda once we're open.

"We are doing this because restaurants are very expensive to build, we can't get a bank loan and we don't want to take on investment. We are asking people who planned to visit Onda anyway to pay up front and get extra to spend as a thank you."

The Crowdfunder went live at midday on Thursday (11 April), and just seven hours later they had already raised more than half of the target. To be transparent, Sam also shared a breakdown of how people had been donating, with over 600 people buying a range of vouchers to support the pasta concept's goal.

As of Friday morning (April 12), they have raised almost £40,000. Once they hit the target and launch the restaurant on Oxford Road, those who have supported the Crowdfunder will be sent a digital voucher via email.

As well as a discount on the bill, there will also be plenty of perks including whole trays of its famed tiramisu, served from its drawer on site. Customers can also takeover the whole restaurant for up to 60 people as part of the campaign or bid on pasta workshops for up to 12 people.

Following the surge in interest around Onda, the restaurant concept, which is a collaboration between the team behind Gooey and Michelin-trained chef Sam Astley Dean, started to book out six months in advance with fans flocking to try its fresh pasta dishes. It was a massive turning point for the business that had initially struggled to make ends meet and had worried about going bankrupt.

Onda will be taking over a space previously occupied by the New Zealand restaurant and bakery Tahi which shut its doors last year pointing to ‘a difficult time for hospitality’ as a reason for closing. Owners say they are looking at a Mid-May opening date and to follow them on social media for the latest updates on the opening and Crowdfunder.