Stevie Wonder left a £1,000 tip at Cafe Continental in Stalybridge after his sold-out Co-op Live show in Manchester on Sunday evening (November 8). The restaurant's team said they are still in disbelief after the music legend's visit.
The R&B superstar, known for songs like Isn't She Lovely and Superstitious, was in Manchester at the weekend as part of a special tour marking the 50th anniversary of his Grammy Award-winning Songs In The Key of Life album. During his time in the city, the American singer visited the restaurant on Melbourne Street, where staff were starstruck by his presence.
Restaurant's Facebook Announcement
Posting on Facebook on Monday morning (November 9), the restaurant wrote: "Surreal things happen now and again. This is one of them! Pleasure to welcome Mr Stevie Wonder to the restaurant to close off his tour!"
First opened two years ago by co-owners Ryan Robinson and Lee Ferguson, Cafe Continental is hailed as a 'little slice of the Continent' for its menu featuring Parisian-inspired plates and open-fire cooking.
Co-owner's Account of the Visit
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News on Monday morning (November 9), co-owner Ryan said he still couldn't believe that his restaurant had been visited by the 76-year-old. Explaining how it all came about, Ryan said: "His daughter actually found out about us on social media first a little while ago and came to visit.
"Over time, it's just started growing and growing and his band have been in a few times now, as they often tour with other artists like Toni Braxton. Every time they've visited, they've been like 'Stevie might come', and we were always just thinking that it would be amazing but we never expected anything from it."
His band visited again on Saturday, and then the restaurant got the call on Sunday afternoon to say they wanted to come again with Stevie's youngest daughter after their show in Manchester. They said again that Stevie might come. Ryan said: "We stayed open late for them, and then he turned up - it was all a bit mad!
"We normally just do a roast service on Sunday, so it was a bit of a scramble to make it all happen and ensure we had the full menu ready for them, but everybody was so lovely, Stevie is actually a really nice guy and was happy to pose for photographs and have a chat."
Orders and Tip
Ryan said Stevie and his entourage ordered a variety of dishes from the menu including tiger prawns, steak and flatbreads, and then left a whopping £1,000 tip. "Just to see Stevie Wonder and his family eating a meal in our restaurant on a Sunday night was quite wild," he said. "We've seen some unusual things in the restaurant since opening but I think this might top it all!"
Ryan was also invited to attend the show beforehand and got to meet Stevie backstage as part of his meet-and-greet. Even then, Ryan wasn't totally convinced he'd see him again. "He made a joke that he'd be seeing me again soon, and I just took it with a pinch of salt. Just a few hours later, four Mercedes Viano's pulled up at our restaurant and there he was!"
Hopes for Stalybridge
Ryan said he hopes the superstar's visit will show more people what Stalybridge has to offer, noting there's something special in the area. "We've actually had a few near-misses from big names in the past, but it's often been the case that we're considered a little bit too far out from the city," he explained. "But I hope it generates some awareness about the area to people because there's some amazing businesses here.
"There's some really good independent restaurants and bars that all offer something really nice, and a lot of money has been spent on the town to make it a nice place to visit. We've just celebrated our second birthday so have something like this happen to us is just unbelievable."
Cafe Continental is on 5 Melbourne St, Stalybridge SK15 2JE.
