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Manchester United icon Ryan Giggs’ restaurant, George’s Dining Room and Bar, has been forced to shut down with immediate effect after amassing debts of £563,600.
The business, co-founded by Giggs and his school friends Kelvin Gregory and Bernie Taylor, was formally liquidated earlier this month.
Employees of George’s were blindsided by the abrupt shutdown, with many expecting to work their usual shifts.
Text messages sent to staff announced that the business had “no alternative but to close George’s effective immediately,” citing a decline in trade, rising operational costs, and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
A former staff member, who wished to remain anonymous, described the situation as a complete surprise. “It came totally out of the blue,” they said.
“We were all supposed to be working today, then we got the text messages through. We are all stunned.”
Workers were informed they would receive outstanding wages and redundancy payments “in due course.”
The collapse of George’s comes at a challenging time for the UK hospitality sector.
Rising business costs, including the recent increase in minimum wage and national insurance contributions, have put significant pressure on restaurants and pubs.
Giggs and his former United teammate Gary Neville have been active in the hospitality industry, with varying levels of success. The duo launched the GG Hospitality Group, which operates Hotel Football near Old Trafford and the Stock Exchange Hotel in Manchester city centre.
Their London-based restaurant, Café Football, located near West Ham United’s Olympic Stadium, shut down in 2019 after customers criticised it for being overpriced.
Giggs and his childhood friends opened George’s Dining Room and Bar with aspirations of turning Worsley into a “foodie destination.” At the time of its launch, Giggs expressed excitement about creating something special in his hometown.
“We’ve known each other for 30 years and always said it would be great to do something like this together,” he said.
The restaurant was well-received in its early years and attracted high-profile guests, including Giggs’ former United teammates Bryan Robson, Nicky Butt, and Neville.
However, despite its initial success, it ultimately succumbed to the financial pressures plaguing many establishments in the hospitality sector.
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