Denton food hall queues surge
A new food hall in Denton is drawing big queues, especially for items like fried chicken and paella, as reported by Manchester Evening News. (manchestereveningnews.co.uk) Local coverage notes the hall’s mix of street food concepts is the main magnet for long lines. (manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
Big queues have formed days after Hatters Food Hall opened in Denton, with fried chicken and paella among the busiest orders. (msn.com) The venue opened in early April 2026 on Jubilee Square, in a converted block of four retail units that includes the former Crown Point Tavern site. Manchester Evening News reported the latest rush on April 11. (camra.org.uk) (msn.com) Hatters has four kitchens and at least one central bar, with traders including Waffle Kart on fried chicken and loaded waffles, Curio on burgers, steaks, tapas and paella, and a new pizza concept from Ornella’s Kitchen. Local listings place it at 16 Market Street, Denton, M34 2XW. (europesays.com) (tasteofmanchester.com) (ornellaskitchen.com) The project had been pitched as more than a place to eat. Planning-era coverage said Hatters Square Ltd wanted a food hall that would help revive Denton town centre and make the area a place where people could “live, work and play.” (uk.news.yahoo.com) (notreallyheremedia.com) That wider plan has been in motion for more than a year. Tameside Correspondent reported in December 2024 that developer Joshua Berry had bought the Civic Square block, and in February 2025 that Tameside Council approved the 14,000 square foot scheme. (tamesidecorrespondent.co.uk 1) (tamesidecorrespondent.co.uk 2) Early previews had already framed the line-up as the main draw before opening day. Manchester Evening News said on April 1 that the hall would serve charcoal-cooked steaks, loaded waffles and slow-cooked paella, while The Manc called it a gathering of some of Greater Manchester’s best-known street food names. (msn.com) (themanc.com) CAMRA’s listing says the site spans two floors with four kitchens, two bars, a performance stage and a private events space. That makes Hatters closer to the larger food-hall model seen in central Manchester than to a single-operator restaurant. (camra.org.uk) For now, the simplest measure of demand is the queue. A scheme first sold as a town-centre revival has opened with customers lining up for fried chicken and paella in its first week. (msn.com) (tamesidecorrespondent.co.uk)
