Caffè Nero is set to open a new coffee shop in Hale village, breathing new life into one of Ashley Road's most prominent - and troubled - units.
The 183 Ashley Road site, on the corner of Westgate, has been vacant since 2019 when Lebanese restaurant Karam closed after only a few months of trading.
Côte Brasserie and Hale Grill both occupied the space before that, and in 2021 Manchester restaurateur Adam Karim invested £500,000 in a European-influenced restaurant called People - which never opened.
Caffè Nero would join a coffee scene in Hale village that already includes Costa Coffee, Reggie's, Juniper, Village Cafe and Capuchin Coffee.
We've contacted Caffè Nero for an expected opening date.
A planning application has been submitted to Trafford Council for a series of external alterations to ready the building for the new use, including replacement hardwood timber doors, an access ramp at the Westgate entrance, and an outdoor seating area enclosed by a traditional timber wicket fence along the Westgate elevation.
The site falls within the Hale Station Conservation Area. Planning documents state that the replacement doors will be finished to match the existing windows, all outdoor furniture will be taken inside each evening, and seating will be restricted to customers until 6pm.
The opening is part of a wider UK push by Caffè Nero, which plans to open as many as 30 new stores this year. It already has an outlet in Altrincham town centre.
Founder Gerry Ford said earlier in 2026 that the 1,151-outlet chain was outperforming rivals Starbucks and Costa - though he cautioned that coffee prices are likely to keep rising due to higher staffing costs and global instability.
Trafford Council has yet to make a decision on the application.
