Fried Red faces at whistle-stop Café! - January 12, 2001
Manchester United's Red Café in Dublin is to close down with debts of around £700,000 after just seven weeks in business! The mega-rich club is to meet at least some of the losses.
One of only four in the world - and only the third outside Manchester - the Red Café will not be re-opening following the Christmas holidays, it was confirmed yesterday.
But the Manchester United Megastore, which shares the same city-centre building, will remain in business.
Old Trafford communications director Paddy Harverson blamed the café's lack of street frontage and minimal signage for the closure. The café was in the basement of the building and street-level signs had to be kept to a minimum because of planning restrictions.
"It came to a decision as to whether the club would put some financial investment into the venture and we explained to our Irish partners it was our policy that we don't put equity into overseas ventures of this kind," Harverson explained.
Not that they mind collecting revenues from overseas, you understand!