One of Manchester's newest restaurants says it's 'limping through' a storm of supply chain issues, rising energy bills and staffing problems.
Popular street food business South Manny Flavaz has had to turn customers away in recent months, with the fried chicken it's famed for now in short supply.
Founded by 25-year-old Aaron Lee from a back garden in Longsight, the business opened its first permanent restaurant space on Deansgate earlier this year.
But the chicken shortage that affected Nando's and KFC back in summer has now begun to bite smaller, independent operations too.
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Aaron says it's an 'insane cycle' of events that's impacting the hospitality industry currently, alongside energy bills that have almost doubled.
He said: "We're just fighting fires here.
"We're struggling to get cuts like chicken wings, which is one of the things we're best-known for.
"We're getting customers coming in asking for wings, and then when they can't get them, they turn around and leave and they might never come back."
Aaron is trying to grow his following at the new site, but says it's hard to plan for the future when the fallout from Brexit and the pandemic leaves him 'always on the back foot'.
He continued: "I don't know how I'm supposed to react here. It's not like I can go out and farm the chicken myself! It's so out of my control.
"Nobody has the answers for when this will get easier."
On the subject of energy costs, which has left fellow independent business Hip Hop Chip Shop unable to 'afford to cook chips ', Aaron said: "We've been faced with electricity bills skyrocketing - over five months it's been £5,500 and it would have been £600 a month.
"It's pretty much doubled and that's a bill that you're getting with no extra revenue.
"We're doing things like turning off some of the fryers, only using one till, turning off TVs. It sounds tragic but we're just doing what we can to save costs.
"It's like the dark ages again. It's so hard to build consistency when you're having to cut corners."
The restaurant is focusing its efforts on its alternative menu items until the supply chain can keep up with the demand for fried chicken again.
That means dishes like its Manny Cheese Steak (a twist on the world-famous American dish) and a current special of steak frites are now at the forefront alongside its chicken wings, strips and burgers.
Speaking of being such a young business-owner, Aaron added: "If we can get through this next 12 to 18 months, everyone in hospitality deserves a round of applause."
"I'm 25 years old and I just don't want any other young entrepreneurs to get disheartened. It's tough right now but we're all in this together.
"And if anyone wants advice around the staffing issues, supply problems, energy crisis, I'd love to work with them and help each other pull through this.
"It's the hardest job I've ever had on my life and I'm always learning."
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