The Font, a Fallowfield institution, is closing its heavy grey doors for the last time. The bar has been open for 10 years, serving thousands of cocktails, hosting fantastic quiz nights and two-for-one offers. However, at the end of this week, The Font, Fallowfield will be no more.
Famed for its £2 cocktails and currently, its incredible advent calendar offers, The Font was a haven for the down-on-their-luck skint student. The food was also something to shout about. Nestled among chicken and kebab shops, The Font offered luxurious burgers, spiced curly fries and the best vegan breakfast in Fallowfield.
The only places left for an all-day breakfast and a cocktail are Revolution and The Great Central Spoons. Neither of these are special enough, or even Manchester enough to compete with our beloved Font.
The loss of this Fallowfield favourite has hit students hard. The Font announced their closure Facebook on the November 26th. The post has since racked up over 500 comments of students – present and past – grieving over the loss of this establishment.
One comment reads, ‘Fallowfield is dead’.
Another say,: ‘Legitimately saddened by this. A lot of great memories.’
Walking into The Font, the Sunday before its closure, we were met by a sad sight. The bunting, streamers and posters had all been taken down. The offer of a free mulled cider was gladly accepted, but looking out across the empty walls was almost eerie. The death of The Font is a long, sad one.
The Font was affected by Manchester City Council’s lockdown on licenses in the Fallowfield area. After Antwerp Mansion was temporarily shut down for having the wrong license, The Font’s opening hours shifted. The bar went from being open until 1am, to closing at 11pm. The bar also saw a reduction in the menu after the traditional summer closure – a foreshadow of what was to come.
It has previously been reported in The Manchester Evening News that the reason was closure was simple. The lease was up and the owners simply chose not to re-lease the property. The Font does have other branches, one in Chorlton and another in the city centre. However, the Fallowfield location was one for the students and it will be remembered.
Since announcing the closure, the Fallowfield bar has seen a flurry of support. People in their droves have come out to support The Font. Even at Fontum Quizzics, quiz master, Doug, announced that his friends had come all the way from Sheffield to support the final quiz. So while it’s incredibly sad that the bar is closing, we should all remember the happy times
Before the impending closure on Saturday 15th December, The Font has held one final week of parties. There was a final Fontum Quizzics on Tuesday 11th, and tonight the bar is hosting a party to say its goodbyes. This memorial will be a celebration of all things Font and will surely be an incredible event!
Rest in peace, dear Font, Fallowfield. We love you!