Promising Mancs a taste of the deep south, Louisiana’s famous chicken chain Popeyes has revealed it is opening in Manchester city centre this year – and now we have an opening date.
The restaurant chain – known for serving fried chicken dishes with sides like red beans and rice, Cajun fries, mashed potatoes with Cajun-style gravy, Cajun rice, macaroni & cheese, southern-style biscuits, and coleslaw – is opening a new location on Piccadilly Gardens.
Famed for its signature 12-hour marinated chicken, its most famous dish is the viral Popeyes Chicken Sandwich made with added Southern biscuits and gravy.
Akin to a more buttery, savoury scone, the Southern biscuits melt in the mouth and offer a buttery, flaky addition to the signature shatter crunch burger.
Elsewhere fans will also be able to get their hands on a brand new breakfast menu, with dishes including the Big Breakfast Roll (a sausage patty, egg, streaky bacon, and American cheese in a soft bun), a variety of sausage, bacon, egg and cheese muffins, cajun hash browns, and its famous Louisiana buttermilk biscuits served with cinnamon sugar or Nutella.
ADVERTISEMENT
Image: Popeyes
Image: Popeyes
Formed in 1972 in New Orleans, Louisiana and headquartered in Miami, the new Manchester store marks the brand’s 15th opening in 2023, and the chain’s 32nd opening since landing in the UK in 2021.
The new Manchester restaurant will be located within Piccadilly Gardens at One Piccadilly Gardens and will seat up to 67 people for dine-in, with additional seating outside for al fresco dining (when the sun shines).
Tom Crowley, CEO at Popeyes® UK, said: “We are thrilled to announce that a new Popeyes restaurant will be opening in Manchester later this year.
Popeyes, but make it festive. / Image: Popeyes
Image: Popeyes
“The city has been a key location for us since we first landed in the UK, and we’re looking forward to bringing the spirit of New Orleans to the iconic Piccadilly Gardens.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Our most recent openings have been some of the biggest to date, not just in the UK but for Popeyes globally.
“After many requests for a Popeyes® UK in Manchester, we are confident that the new restaurant will be just as popular and can’t wait to announce our opening week plans soon.”
Popeyes will open in Manchester on Thursday 26 October.
Brilliant Saddleworth restaurant shares statement after devastating fire that brought village to a standstill
Daisy Jackson
A brilliant restaurant in Saddleworth has been left ‘badly damaged’ after a huge blaze ripped through it yesterday afternoon.
Hot Duck in Uppermill, a modern Chinese establishment tucked above a takeaway, said that the fire on Sunday 6 September has been ‘devastating’.
Both Hot Duck and Hei Hei, which share a building on the village’s high street, will be closed for the foreseeable future.
But in a statement, Hot Duck said they will ‘do everything we can to come back stronger’.
They reassured customers that everyone is safe following the blaze.
Six fire engines from across Greater Manchester scrambled to the fire yesterday, with High Street closed while emergency services attended.
Locals were asked to avoid the area on Sunday evening.
Hot Duck said in a statement: “Thank you to everyone who has reached out over the last 24 hours. As many of you know, our restaurant has suffered a devastating fire affecting our whole building.
Inside Hot Duck in Uppermill before the fireHot Duck’s incredible dim sum
“Thankfully, everyone is safe, and for that, we’re incredibly grateful. We are still processing what comes next.
“It’s heartbreaking to see something we’ve worked so hard on over the years so badly damaged.
“The kindness, messages, calls, and offers of help mean more than we can put into words. To our customers, friends, neighbors, suppliers, and the wider community, thank you. Your support has given us hope at a time we really needed it.
“For now, the restaurant will remain closed while we begin the long process of rebuilding. It won’t be easy, but we will do everything we can to come back stronger. We’ll keep you updated. We will be back.”
The Greater Manchester book café serving literary afternoon teas and build-your-own bouquets
Daisy Jackson
If you like your afternoon tea with a side of good books, there’s a Greater Manchester café where you can quite literally have your cake and read it too.
Tucked inside this charming bookish spot, afternoon tea arrives with an unexpected twist. Rather than being presented with the usual three-tiered stand, you’re handed a stack of heavy hardback books.
But don’t start worrying that you’ve accidentally wandered into a very niche library club. The books are hiding something.
Lift the covers in Peony & Parchment – or, more accurately, open the book-shaped boxes – and you’ll discover a full afternoon tea concealed inside.
There are dainty sandwiches to get stuck into, including tiny egg mayo, herby chicken salad, ham and mustard, and cheese and tomato focaccia, alongside a little quiche.
Then comes the scone – classic, fluffy and ready for the obligatory dollop of clotted cream and jam. And, because no afternoon tea should leave you feeling like you’ve been short-changed in the cake department, there are five miniature slices to work through.
Afternoon tea concealed in a stack of booksSome of the other bakes on display
There’s a Victoria sponge with a dreamy vanilla cream, lemon drizzle, rich chocolate cake, a Bakewell slice and a pecan pie, all sourced from a local bakery just across the alleyway.
It’s all served with a pot of tea or coffee, with the option to add a glass of prosecco.
And the bookish theme doesn’t stop at the afternoon tea.
Downstairs you’ll find shelves packed with books, including the intriguing ‘blind books’. Instead of judging a book by its cover, you’ll be given clues and a short summary of what lies inside before taking a gamble on your mystery read.
Downstairs in Peony & Parchment‘Blind books’A role playing village for kids
There’s also plenty here to keep younger visitors entertained, thanks to a children’s area complete with a mini role-playing village.
And if books and cake weren’t enough, there’s another string to this café’s bow.
The Bloom Bar lets you build your own bouquet. Choose the size you want, then wander around selecting your own stems and foliage to create something that’s uniquely yours.
You can build your own bouquetThe Bloom Bar at Peony & Parchment
Of course, you don’t have to be visiting specifically for the afternoon tea. The wider menu includes tapas, full breakfasts and sandwiches, making it just as suitable for a leisurely brunch, lunch or coffee-and-cake stop.
So whether you’re there to discover your next favourite novel, assemble a bouquet, entertain the kids or simply eat your way through five different miniature cakes, this is one café where there are plenty of chapters to explore.
Georgina Pellant -
31st July 2023 
