Campo in Whitefield, Bury, reacted to the comments they had seen about their prices
A tapas bar and restaurant in Whitefield has taken to social media to open up about the challenges faced by the hospitality industry and explained the breakdown behind their prices.
Campo, located on Moss Lane in Whitefield, specialises in tapas, drinks and Sunday roasts. It opened in 2018 as Campo Blanco and is run by husband and wife team Faye and Aaron Cummings.
The popular restaurant has spoken out about the challenges faced by the industry before. In 2022 they spoke to the Manchester Evening News about their soaring energy bills, which at the time rose to between £8,000-£10,000 a month.
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Now, the business has opened up about the current challenges faced by the industry in a social media post. The restaurant took to both Instagram and Facebook to share “a little bit of honesty”.
They cited that customers sometimes complain that they are charging ‘town prices’ but Campo explained why they have to charge what they do, breaking down the extra costs that often remain unseen by the customer, such as wages, rent and bills. The team also highlighted that quieter periods are becoming more common, especially during the week.
What the restaurant said
The post, which acquired more than 800 likes on Instagram and Facebook combined, read: “We’ve held off writing something like this for a while, but we wanted to share a little of what running Campo feels like at the moment. We love what we do and being part of Whitefield, but quieter weekends are becoming harder to manage as the cost of keeping our doors open rises.
“So we wanted to speak openly with the people who make Campo what it is. We know that people do not have the same disposable income they once had. Eating out can feel expensive when household bills have increased too, and we never take it for granted when someone chooses to spend their money with us.
“At the same time, the cost of running an independent restaurant has increased enormously. Food, drink, wages, energy, rent, VAT and countless other costs all have to be covered before a restaurant makes anything at all.
“We sometimes receive comments that our drinks are at “town prices”, and we understand that people want to feel they’re getting good value. Being outside the city centre doesn’t automatically mean our food and drink costs less to buy.
“Larger venues and chains can often secure better buying prices because of the volumes they purchase. We work incredibly hard to keep our prices fair while covering our costs and offering the food, service and atmosphere you come to Campo for.
“We still have plenty of busy moments at Campo, but we’re seeing more quiet days between them. The quieter weeks are becoming much harder for independent businesses like ours to manage.
“The response to our recent menu post reminded us how many Campo fans are still out there, which genuinely meant so much to us. We have an amazing team, brilliant regulars and a community that has supported us for over eight years.”
The restaurant added that they appreciate any form of support, whether that’s people coming for a roast or just for a coffee and a dessert. The team explained that advanced bookings can help the business in terms of planning food and staffing, while it also helps the business reduce waste. Campo explained that even supporting the business on social media helps as well.
They also called for honest feedback on how they can improve and to understand what it is people want. They added: “If there’s a reason you stopped visiting, our inbox is open and we promise to listen.
“We’re working hard behind the scenes on our new menu, our events and the overall Campo experience. We aren’t asking our customers to solve the challenges facing hospitality. We simply wanted to be honest and remind people that choosing local and independent really does make a difference.”
How customers have reacted
The post received dozens of comments across the two social media platforms, with many praising the venue and sharing their thoughts on the menu. One comment from Lindsay on Facebook read: “We love campo and wish we could come more often.. purely out of busyness of life! We will be visiting in October for sure to get our campo fix! Keep going guys doing a great job.”
Another from Stacey said: “Lovely words and would always rather pay a hard working business that’s passionate and caring and not a just a chain that doesn’t really care about the customer too – Fab food and people you are missing out if you haven’t been here already.”
On Instagram, Bury-based bakery business Little Blonde Bakes commented: “Had too many conversations like this this week, the winter months can get increasingly more quiet up until near Christmas so many may not make it through. It’s so sad. I’ll be in asap.”
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