Manchester milkshake and burger bar Archie’s has launched a new breakfast menustacked with naughty breakfast burgers, fluffy pancake stacks, hash browns and ‘breakfast tots’ – miniature tater tots loaded with all your morning essentials.
Available at Piccadilly and Manchester Aiport, the new breakfast menu will be served from 8am – 11am in the week and 9am – 12pm on weekends.
Even better, they’re offering a free coffee (be that a cappuccino, latte, or americano) with your breakfast for the first month – available from now until 11 February.
Think seven different customisable burgers on the menu to choose from, stuffed with the likes of hash browns, avocado, chicken sausage patties, cheese, smoked turkey bacon, sriracha, fried or scrambled eggs, tomato, chives and more.
Image: The Manc Group
All served in warm glazed buns, new stand outs include vegetarian The Yolker, filled with smashed lime-infused avocado, scrambled eggs, chives, cheese and sriracha mayo; and the new and improved Breakfast Club (double beef patty, turkey bacon, hash brown, fried egg, BBQ sauce and cheese).
Elsewhere, sweet tooths will find fluffy American-style pancakes priced from just £4.99 loaded with choices like bacon and maple syrup; whipped cream, banana and toffee sauce; or strawberries, chocolate, whipped cream and hazelnut sauce.
And that’s not all. All of the brand’s classic and celeb shakes are available at breakfast, as well as its soft drinks list and giant chocolate, fruit and ice cream-loaded waffles.
Credit: The Manc Group
Crinkle fries and curly fries appear here too, giving Archie’s fans the full-on diner experience – just earlier in the day, with a new breakfast twist.
The bright pink American-style fast food diner, which first popped up on Oxford Road in 2010, now has eight sites in total – six in Manchester, one in Liverpool and another in Leeds.
A ninth branch will be opening in Birmingham next month too.
But believe it or not, the hit Manc business first started off as a carwash in Cheetham Hill before becoming the popular made-to-order burger empire it is today.
Image: Archie’s
Prior to launching the first Archie’s on Oxford road in 2010, the four Rafiq brothers behind it – Amer, the eldest, and siblings Imran, Asim and Irfan – actually devised the concept three years earlier whilst running the successful Wash and Glow, a hotspot for local footballers and celebrities such as Corrie’s Ryan Thomas.
This, in turn, funded their idea to move into the burger world and helped to launch into a brand new industry – taking that ‘go and be seen’ shine that made their car wash so popular and applying it to fast food instead.
Support from celebrities early in the day, such as rappers like Nas and The Game, quickly made Archie’s a go-to place – with visits heralded by a ‘celeb shakes’ list that pays homage to some of the namesakes who’ve been over the years.
Singers Rita Ora and Pia Mia, professional boxers Floyd Mayweather and Amir Khan, and comedian Kevin Hart all get a shout-out on the menu – which gives diners the chance to enjoy signature shakes created especially for the celebs.
Twelve years later, Archie’s is still just as iconic as it ever was – this latest gift to commuters at Piccadilly station and the airport is just the cherry on top.
Feature image – The Manc Group
Eats
A new coffee shop by a familiar Manc influencer with an ‘Oasis-inspired’ name is opening in town
Danny Jones
We’re never short of cafés here in Manchester, especially in the city centre, and there are a fair few great ones in the Northern Quarter alone, but this new coffee shop from a famous local influencer is one to keep an eye on – especially as it’s a bit of an Oasis pun.
‘What’s the story?’, we hear you ask: Morning Glory, that’s what.
That’s right, NQ’s latest coffee spot is not only a fun little nod to the Britpop classic but a little bit of innuendo by an equally cheeky chappy and familiar content creator, Zack Hipps.
With the Oasis puns and double-entendre boxes ticked off, it already ticks a couple of boxes, but there are still plenty more reasons to think this will be a success.
Morning Glory is opening in the Northern Quarter at the end of the month. (Credit: Morning Glory)
To start with, the jokes don’t stop as sandwich lovers will be glad to hear that there will be ‘Glory Holes’ on the menu…
Calm down, it’s not that kind of gaff. These are bagels that are sliced, stuffed with whipped cream, brushed with garlic butter, before being rebaked to golden perfection and finished with a drizzle of honey thyme. That admittedly does sound rather naughty.
Bagels are the main foodstuff on the menu, with a lineup of stacked fillings such as grilled peach with goat’s cheese and chilli jam; roast chicken thigh with smoked garlic mayo, iceberg lettuce and red onion and a ‘next-level’ ham and cheese stack.
Oh yeah, and it’s not only a coffee shop but promises to be a great and affordable spot for grab-and-go joe, specifically, too.
Morning Glory will be helping kickstart Manc mornings in the best way: with a banging coffee and bagel brekkie deal for just £5, making it perfect for those early risers and rushes to the commuter trams – OR, indeed, the ideal hangover cure after a night out in the city.
Apart from the obvious Manchester music reference, the coffee bar is a fitting honey-yellow.The bagels are looking big and beautiful.The diagonal floor stripes are a nod to The Hacienda nightclub. (Credit: Supplied)
Now, with the space itself spanning just 50sqm and featuring just 12 seats, not to mention fast, value-for-money food and drink, everyone can admit this isn’t necessarily the spot to sit for hours chatting with your mates over a brew.
Although Zack describes the room as “casual, cosy and full of personality” and “proper good vibes”, assuring quality at all times, they also state it is about “no faff” and the menu is made for being on the move, which is absolutely fine with us.
For instance, indie suppliers Kyoto Matcha will be chipping in with drinks and local bakery Vainllis over in Ancoats will be delivering a fresh twist on the Manchester tart, both of which are easy to order takeout and enjoy on the go.
Best of all, to mark the launch, the first 100 people through the doors on from 8am on opening Saturday, 30 August. August will not only bag a free drink, but three lucky customers will be randomly chosen to win a golden ticket, entitling them to free coffee every single day for A WHOLE YEAR.
Speaking on the impending opening just weeks after Oasis left the city, Hipps says, “Morning Glory Coffee is my love letter to Manchester. We’ve grafted for months building the space, and it’s mad to think we’re finally opening the doors.
“It’s a warm, welcoming spot with proper Manc charm, and I’m buzzing to be working alongside some of my favourite local makers. Manchester’s got one of the best food scenes in the country, and we can’t wait to shine a light on all the incredible talent out there, whilst fuelling up Manc’s one brew at a time.”
See you in the queue on Oldham Street come launch day for great coffee, Oasis in the headphones and hopefully some rare but glorious Manchester morning sun.
Manchester tapas spot Maricarmen is opening a second site
Danny Jones
Affordable Manchester tapas spot Maricarmen has announced they are opening a second site in town, doubling their centre presence.
Maricarmen launched on Great Ancoats Street back in June 2023 and quickly became a firm Manc favourite, famous for their £3.50 dishes
When it comes to their small plate approach, they serve up some of the best tapas in Manchester, and even the shopfront seats at their popular roadside location are regularly full regardless of passing traffic.
However, if there’s ever been one gripe we’ve had with the place, it’s that the outdoor area isn’t the most peaceful, even if it is a stunning suntrap on a warm day – that’s where the new restaurant comes in.
Maricarmen is launching its second site very soon.(Credit: Supplied/The Manc Eats)
We’ve been semi-regular visitors of Maricarmen ever since it started out life as a pop-up spot just around from Cutting Room Square, and they’ve gained speed and reputation ever since.
Known not only for authentic, value-for-money tapas, but welcoming plenty of punters for a simple drink as one of the best places for a sangria in central Manchester, they’ve managed to stay relatively just not just when the weather is bright but throughout most seasons.
Set to take over the ex-63 Degrees on High Street in the Northern Quarter, they’ll be opening the next branch of Maricarmen as early as next month.
While the Ancoats restaurant is known for the aforementioned roving ‘El Tableo’ style of service inspired by southern Spain, the newest location will be slightly different; they are remaining tight-lipped on details, however, only revealing lighter colours and Alicante beach influences with alfresco eating.
All we’ll say for now is bring on the pintxos, pints, patatas bravas and pretty much anything we had for their first birthday celebrations.
Created by Marian Diaz and Jose Nunez, who previously owned a tapas restaurant in Madrid, La Porcineria, which was sadly curtailed by Covid.
On the bright side, Manchester has been the greatest beneficiary of their fresh start, and we can’t wait to see what venue number two delivers.
Co-founder, Diaz, said of the new opening: “Maricarmen is about compassion, hard work, strength, reinvention, opening our minds & hearts and connecting with people. It’s more than just food, for us, it is the beautiful moment when we see our customers and our coworkers smile because they are here.”
She went on to add, “To us, Manchester signifies the ability to reinvent and grow. The people here support you without expecting anything in return. It’s really beautiful. I have never felt this before in my life. […] We’ve built up such a loyal customer base of locals – many have become dear friends.
“And to be in a position to open a second site within two years and share our love of good food and great times with Manchester’s Northern Quarter is quite unbelievable.”
Maricarmen NQ is scheduled to open its doors in the very first week of September, so you really don’t have that long wait and/try to snatch a table.
Be sure to follow them on socials too, not only for more announcements and updates but because it’ll give you an even better flavour of the vibes over there.
Georgina Pellant -
20th January 2022 
