To say thank you to customers who have shown continued support for the sector over the past two years, Lord stated he would launch a ‘Hospitality Hour’ in each of the city-region's ten boroughs over the summer months, starting this weekend.
Lord said: "This is all about getting together and thanking the people of Greater Manchester for their support over the past two and a half years.
“As a city region, we suffered tougher restrictions than any other during the pandemic, and now with the difficult economic environment, our operators are once again at the precipice of closure.”
Toxic cocktail
This comes as Lord penned an opinion piece for the Morning Advertiser (MA) earlier this month stating he was more concerned about the industry now than when the nation was in lockdown with hospitality facing a perfect storm in stark and difficult trading conditions.
He wrote: “You don’t need to be an economist to know that as working people feel the pinch in their pockets, they will cut back on going out.
“As always, the pubs, restaurants and venues will be the first to suffer as consumer demand drops, especially so in the most deprived areas.
“Sky high inflation together with faltering demand is a toxic cocktail for hospitality, and when faced with weak growth and a dire outlook for the future, business confidence falters and investment suffers – a vicious circle that must be addressed urgently.”
Keep the sector going
The ‘Hospitality Hour’ scheme has been anticipated to begin this Sunday (26 June) at the newly opened Adelphi Lads Club in Salford, with the free drinks taking place between 5pm and 6pm.
Furthermore, the nine remaining Hospitality Hour dates and venues have been set to be announced via Lord’s Twitter account (@Sacha_Lord) throughout July and August.
Lord added: "It's about time I bought everyone a pint, and what better way than to launch a summer hospitality hour across our ten boroughs.
“I'm looking forward to being at each one to personally thank landlords and staff and the punters who have kept our sector going."