Council end deal with Marco Pierre White for his Blackpool restaurant

Blackpool Council has ended an agreement with Marco Pierre White that means his New York Italian restaurant is no longer in Blackpool - just 20 months since it opened in the seaside town.

The restaurant opened within the Holiday Inn in May 2024 at the heart of Blackpool’s Talbot Gateway project.

The hotel is owned by Blackpool Council and run by RBH Hospitality under the Holiday Inn brand.

Council chiefs say Platform 9, which operates in the bar and lobby area of the Holiday Inn Blackpool, took over Marco’s on 12 January.

They say they terminated the agreement with Marco's and it was their decision to end the agreement.

The move will allow the locally trained chefs to create a new menu and promises generous portions, bold flavours and excellent value for professional lunches, as well as catering for the growing student numbers from the forthcoming Multiversity.

Since opening in May 2024, the hotel has welcomed over 110,000 guests and continues to offer a popular branded hotel in the town centre.

It was also recently named as the best Holiday Inn in the UK and Ireland for guest experience by brand owners IHG.

Mark Winter, general manager at Holiday Inn Blackpool, said: “I’ve been overwhelmed by the popularity of the hotel since we opened.

"As well as rooms being booked, people are really enjoying using the lobby and Platform 9 area to eat, meet and socialise.

 “This move will allow us to be more flexible with the menu that we offer. I know that our kitchen and waiting staff are excited to let their creativity flow with a new menu and offering specials for our guests to enjoy.

 “We will be releasing tables to book through the Platform 9 website soon, as well as releasing the new menu.

"Anybody with a booking after 12 January will be getting a phonecall about the changes and inviting them to try out the new expanded Platform 9.”

Councillor Mark Smith, cabinet member for economy and built environment at Blackpool Council, added: “We knew that a hotel and restaurant would be a success, particularly when sandwiched between the train station and tramway extension, and with over 8,000 workers and students on their doorstep in the coming years.

“This move will allow the Platform 9 offer to grow, reducing commission and offering more flexibility to the excellent team which run the hotel already.”

For more information on the Talbot Gateway, visit www.talbotgateway.com or email [email protected].