Popular pizza chain set to open another site in the city centre

Popular pizzeria Rudy's Pizza will be expanding its Manchester footprint with another site in the city centre.

The brand's third city centre restaurant will be based in the former Dawson's Music & Sounds shop on Portland Street and will continue to serve up their popular pizzas, famous for being cooked for 60 seconds in a Stefano Ferrara oven. The 8,000 sqft location will seat up to 120 covers and will also feature a brand new pizza school where budding pizza makers can learn the Rudy's way.

It has been eight years since the pizza concept first launched on Ancoats' Cutting Room Square, and four since it opened its second site on Peter Street. The new spot will be the sixth in Greater Manchester following openings in Didsbury, Chorlton and Sale.

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Rudy’s Pizza Academy will take just over half the space at Portland Street, providing a structured training programme open to both experienced pizza chefs, wishing to learn the Rudy’s way, and to those completely new to making pizza. Every new member of Rudy’s back-of-house team member will start their journey at the Academy.

Rudy’s Fast-Track Pizzaiolo Programme will combine both practical training, theory on the aspects of a Neapolitan pizza, and extensive knowledge sharing about ingredients. Meanwhile, the Academy will welcome over 100 pizza chefs in its first year.

Sharing the news on Instagram, Rudy's posted a series of work-in-progress shots, giving followers a glimpse at the vast site on Portland Street. The new central location is just a stone's throw from Rudy's site on Peter Street and features floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

Jos Goncalves, manager at Rudy's