Big Mamma Group is officially bringing its flagship Italian concept to Manchester, choosing one of the city’s most closely watched developments for its northern debut.
The Paris-founded hospitality company will open Circolo Popolare at No 1 St Michael’s, the Gary Neville-backed mixed-use scheme just off Deansgate. The 230-cover restaurant will mark Big Mamma Group’s first site in the north of England and its latest move in a widening UK expansion strategy.
For Manchester, it is another signal that the city centre dining market continues to attract major international operators.
What is opening and where?
Circolo Popolare will take space inside the St Michael’s development, positioned within the established Deansgate and Spinningfields corridor that already draws high footfall from office workers, residents and weekend visitors.
The Manchester site is expected to follow the brand’s signature format, with high-impact interiors, open kitchens and a menu built around fresh pasta, Neapolitan-style pizza, burrata and indulgent desserts.
The 230 covers place it among the larger restaurant openings in the city centre this year.
Who are Big Mamma Group?
Big Mamma Group was founded in 2013 by Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux. The company began in Paris before expanding across Europe and into the UK, where it operates several London restaurants including Gloria, Ave Mario, Jacuzzi, Carlotta and Circolo Popolare. It also opened La Bellezza in Birmingham, marking its first move outside the capital.
The group is known for pairing accessible pricing with theatrical interiors, often creating destination restaurants that generate strong social media attention.
Manchester now becomes the next stage in that regional growth.
Why Manchester and why St Michael’s?
The St Michael’s scheme has been one of the most high-profile city centre developments in recent years, reshaping a key part of Deansgate. By selecting this address, Big Mamma Group is aligning itself with a development aimed at high-spend city centre diners.
Deansgate has steadily consolidated its position alongside Spinningfields as a core hospitality corridor. For regulars who move between the Northern Quarter, Ancoats and Spinningfields on a Friday night, the addition of Circolo Popolare strengthens that loop rather than creating a new one.
Manchester’s restaurant market also offers scale. With a Greater Manchester population of around 2.8 million and a growing residential base in the city centre, the fundamentals support large-format operators.
What it means for Manchester’s Italian restaurant scene
Italian food already performs strongly in Manchester. Booking pressure at venues such as Rudy’s, Ramona, Sugo and San Carlo suggests consistent demand across price points and neighbourhoods.
The arrival of Big Mamma Group does not fill a clear gap. Instead, it raises the level of spectacle within an already crowded category.
For independent pasta bars in Ancoats or long-standing family restaurants around Deansgate and Oxford Road, the question will be whether a large, heavily marketed opening diverts custom or expands the overall audience.
Manchester’s recent track record suggests the latter is possible. High-profile openings often draw visitors from outside the city, from Trafford, Stockport, Bolton and beyond, who then spend across multiple venues in one evening.
Jobs and local economic impact
A 230-cover restaurant operating seven days a week requires significant staffing. Front-of-house teams, chefs, supervisors and management roles will be needed, alongside supply chain and support services.
For Manchester’s hospitality workforce, Big Mamma Group’s arrival adds another large employer to a competitive labour market. Operators across the city have been balancing recruitment challenges with rising operational costs, and new entrants can influence wage expectations and training standards.
The opening also reinforces hospitality as a core pillar of the city centre economy, particularly along the Deansgate corridor.
How Big Mamma Group compares to existing operators
Manchester has no shortage of national brands or high-concept restaurants. What distinguishes Big Mamma Group is the combination of mid-range pricing with maximalist interiors designed to create an immersive atmosphere.
That places Circolo Popolare somewhere between traditional Italian institutions and experience-driven operators. It is unlikely to replace smaller neighbourhood spots. Instead, it competes in the birthday, graduation and group-booking market where scale and visual impact matter.
For city centre diners, it becomes another headline option within walking distance of existing favourites.
Key facts at a glance
- Restaurant: Circolo Popolare
- Operator: Big Mamma Group
- Location: No 1 St Michael’s, Deansgate
- Covers: Approximately 230
- Significance: First Big Mamma Group site in the north of England
The wider picture for Greater Manchester
Big Mamma Group’s decision to open in Manchester reflects a broader shift in UK hospitality strategy. After establishing brand recognition in London and testing regional appetite in Birmingham, the group has chosen Manchester as its next expansion city.
That choice underlines the city’s national standing. International operators increasingly view Manchester not as a secondary market but as a core destination in its own right.
For residents across Greater Manchester, the opening of Circolo Popolare is less about novelty and more about momentum. Deansgate continues to consolidate as a dining anchor, and the city’s restaurant scene grows more competitive with each high-profile arrival.
Whether Big Mamma Group reshapes the Italian category locally will depend on how Manchester responds once the doors open. What is certain is that the city remains firmly on the radar of Europe’s largest hospitality groups and that marks another stage in Manchester’s evolution as a leading UK food city outside London.
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