Iconic Manchester-born burger and shake bar Archie’s has announced it will finally be opening in the Trafford Centre next week after a what has been a turbulent year due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
But a series of unfortunate hold-ups as a result of the ongoing pandemic have meant the opening of the new restaurant – which was initially slated to take place in April – was postponed on a number of occasions, with legions of hungry fans just awaiting a confirmed date.
And, after over 10 months, it’s finally been confirmed that doors will open on Tuesday 8th December inside the mall’s The Orient food court.
What’s more is that this new branch will be Archie’s flagship and biggest store in the UK too.
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Speaking on the new Trafford Centre restaurant – which will “taken to the next level” – back in January, Imran Shezad – CEO at Archie’s – said: “The Trafford Centre restaurant is going to be the flagship store, it will be really cool – very Instagrammable.
“We’ve got a room with pink banana swings and a ball pit just for that.”
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The new location was also set to include a pink room with a ball pit, and will also have swings which will provide “playful posing opportunities”, however it’s believed some of these facilities will be out of action for the time being due to COVID-safety precautions.
It’s safe to say the well-known fast food brand is a Mancunian icon at this point, famous not just for its creative and wide-ranging menu of burgers, shakes, waffles and more, but also for its amazing-award winning bright pink Instagrammable interiors, which has made it prone to regular celebrity visits.
People flock from all over for the Archie’s experience.
The beloved brand started out 10 years ago on Oxford Road in the city centre, and has gone from strength to strength ever since, now with four branches in Manchester and one each in Liverpool and Birmingham.
Two other restaurants are also planned to open in Manchester Airport and Leeds in 2021.
The constant innovation of the menu and brand has continued to keep Archie’s relevant, and its massive expansion over the past few years is testament to the group’s extremely hard work.
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Archie’s Manchester The Trafford Centre will open on Tuesday 8th December 2020.
Unit R7A, 132-134, The Orient, Trafford Centre, Manchester.
You can find more information about Archie’s, as well as menus, takeout/delivery options, and COVID-safety precautions via its website here.
Eats
Inside Popeyes as fried chicken restaurant opens its first Manchester drive-thru
Daisy Jackson
Popeyes is ready to open its first-ever Greater Manchester drive-thru restaurant, where you can pick up its legendary Louisiana-style fried chicken and shakes.
To celebrate its launch, Popeyes will be giving away free chicken sandwiches for a year to the first people in the queue – and when it launched at Piccadilly Gardens, someone waited outside for 16 hours.
People really love this chicken…
In the blink of an eye, the colourful orange and blue building has taken shape on Bury New Road, where hungry diners can pick up meals in the drive-thru or order ahead for curbside collection.
Customers dining in can order through a QR code or touch-screens, before sitting down at one of the many orange booths to tuck into trays piled high with sandwiches, tenders, mac and cheese, and more.
There are 72 indoors plus an outside dining area, dual-ordering lanes, and designated bays for pre-orders.
Popeyes is famed for its viral ‘shatter crunch’-coated fried chicken, its Southern US biscuits and gravy, and its brekkie menu where British classics are given a New Orleans twist.
The doors and lanes to the new chicken shop will officially open on Friday 26 April at 11am.
The first three people queueing both on foot and in cars will win free chicken sandwiches for a year, and the first 25 in both queues will get a free chicken sandwich and exclusive merch.
This new Popeyes marks the brand’s 11th opening in 2024, and 47th since launching in the UK in 2021.
You’ll find it at 288-292 unit Bury New Rd, M7 2YJ, right next to the McDonald’s and Tim Horton’s on the border of Prestwich.
Skof, Manchester’s most hotly-anticipated restaurant, confirms opening date and menu prices
Daisy Jackson
A restaurant with a serious Michelin pedigree is set to open in Manchester very soon, as chef Tom Barnes readies to launch Skof and gives a glimpse into its menu.
Tom’s impressive CV includes time spent at L’Enclume, the three-Michelin star Lake District restaurant widely considered one of the best in the world, and he’ll bring that same farm-to-table ethos to the city centre with his debut restaurant.
Skof will be taking over a historic building in the NOMA neighbourhood, right by Manchester Victoria, with an official opening date now locked in.
Skof is set to launch on Wednesday 29 May, with bookings going live today and tables available all the way through to 14 September (and likely to fill up fast).
Tom Barnes has also teased what’s to come on his menu, with two different tasting menus available.
Skof will have a 12-course tasting menu priced at £120, and a 15-course menu for £165 – plus a £50, four-course lunch offering.
The restaurant will be owned and operated by Tom but falls under Simon Rogan’s UMBEL Restaurants group, and he’ll be weaving in new suppliers as well as using daily deliveries of produce grown specifically for him from Simon Rogan’s Our Farm in the Cartmel Valley.
He’ll be using small-scale suppliers such as Cinderwood Market Garden in Nantwich and Lake District Farmers to fill his exciting menu of home-grown dishes.
The first set of menus will include dishes like roasted Sladesdown duck, peach leaf, Ibis celeriac, and wholemeal bread; Berkswell cheese sable biscuit, crushed broad beans, whipped roe, and bronze fennel; and a lightly set custard, served with Hen-of-the-Woods mushrooms, truffle, and mushroom dashi.
Tom Barnes with the team outside Skof, a new restaurant opening in Manchester in May which has confirmed its launch date and menu prices. Credit: Supplied
There’ll be a lot of thought that goes in to the drinks pairings too, working with restaurant manager Sean Oakford and assistant restaurant manager Max Lawrence (both ex-L’Enclume), on a range of drinks options to include alcohol-free or mixed-alcohol pairings, or matching wines to go with the menu.
Tom has also collaborated with Manchester brewery, Track to create Sidney, a light and refreshing beer intended as an alternative to kick off the meal.
Tom Barnes said: “It’s been a long time coming, so I’m excited to be able to finally release our reservations. I can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on and to return some of the incredible hospitality I’ve received from the people of Manchester.
“With Skof, my purpose is to create an incredible experience that focuses on great quality ingredients but above all, puts a smile on peoples faces.”
Skof will open in Manchester’s NOMA district on Wednesday 29 May.