Beloved Louisiana fast food staple Popeyes is set to open not only its second site here in Greater Manchester but its only drive-thru location in the region full stop.
Aren’t we a lucky lot?
In case you somehow missed it, the fanatically-followed fried chicken gaff opened up its first Manchester venue on Piccadilly Gardens back in October 2023 and has already become an extremely popular spot for scran here in 0161.
With queues out the door on opening day and hundreds of free meals handed out as part of the much-anticipated launch, they’ve already made a splash around here and are set to excite fans even more with the next opening over in Salford.
The Popeyes drive-thru in Manchester will be just the sixth of its kind anywhere in the country. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
Marking their 12th new site in 2024 already, the new Popeyes drive-thru is due to take over the 288-292 unit Bury New Rd, M7 2YJ – right next to the McDonald’s and Tim Horton’s – just on the border of Prestwich, and is part of a larger plan to open a total of 30 British stores this year.
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The chicken empire just keeps expanding.
Better still, you won’t have to wait long to get your hands on some top-tier drive-thru fried chicken either, as Popeyes Bury New Road is scheduled to open its doors this time next month. Wednesday, 24 April, to be precise.
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We can’t really get enough of this place, to be honest, so recently went back for another visit as part of our Takeaway Champions series. It didn’t disappoint.
Famous for their ‘shatter crunch’ coating and staple items like Southern biscuits and gravy as well as the iconic Popeyes® Chicken Sandwich (genuinely lived up to the hype), they’ve also made waves when it comes to breakfast with a very solid early morning menu. The cajun hash browns alone are immense.
Speaking on the next chapter for the franchise here in our region, Popeyes UK’s CEO Tom Crowley said: “Following the success of our Manchester Piccadilly restaurant, we are thrilled to bring our newest Popeyes to Bury New Road, marking our third restaurant in the North West.
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Having it on our doorstep in the city these past few months has been great but making their world-renowned fast food available to even more Mancs via the new curbside service is a great addition, not to mention the 80+ new jobs it will create for locals.
The new location will have 72 seats indoors, an outside dining area; dual-ordering lanes to reduce queues and waiting times, as well as collection from designated bays within the car park when you order online via the website. Roll on April.
This new app tells you the best sunny pub spots in Manchester
Thomas Melia
A brand new app has launched, which tracks the sun and tells you where the best sunny pub spots in Manchester are throughout the day.
No, you’re not dreaming: this is what heaven feels like. This all-new app, initially trialled in London and now covering Manchester, allows users to identify the best sun traps in our stunning city centre.
Designed and created by architect Mo Dawod, Sunseekr aims to show you the best pub, cafe and restaurant locations where you can take advantage of and soak up all the sun in real time.
As well as being a handy tool to use throughout the day, you can use this sun-centric app to pre-plan your day, as it lets you know all the sunny spots in advance for anyone who fancies chasing the sun.
The app shows you the best pubs, cafes and restaurants to catch some rays.You can easily chase the sun around Manchester city centre with this handy new app.Credit: Screenshots via Sunseeker
Of course, we don’t need an app to tell us all the best sunny pub spots in Manchester as locals and visitors alike know about our pride and joy, Stevenson Square.
However, this new technology will come in handy for organising your next beer garden trip and locating exactly where you’re guaranteed to sit down and possibly catch a tan.
Sunseekr had a trial run in London first, catching the attention of reputable publications like Timeout London and even got itself featured on BBC London.
It makes perfect sense why Dawod made this app; being a Battersea resident, his area of London is packed with plenty of amenities such as pubs and bars, perfect for sitting out and relaxing in the sun.
Now the sunny app has spread nationwide, including Manchester, meaning we Northerners can make the most of the precious sun while we have it.
Safe to say, here at The Manc, we know a lot of good places to soak up the sun while sipping on a class pint.Nothing beats a crisp pint and some gorgeous Manchester sunshine.Credit: The Manc Eats
The arrival of this sun-tracking pub-spotting app gives us the perfect excuse to drop everything and make our way to the nearest beer garden to put this to the test ourselves, it’s not like we needed any encouragement…
Sunseekr is available to download NOW and allows users to live-track the sun to see if any pubs, cafes or restaurants near you have been blessed by the sun.
We’re in the business of knowing about beer gardens galore, so this long-overdue app just made our lives a whole lot easier.
Stunning Ancoats favourite Street Urchin closes after ‘heartbreaking’ health emergency
Danny Jones
The stunning Ancoats restaurant and Manchester favourite, Street Urchin, has announced its sudden closure following a serious health emergency.
Opened by partners Kevin and Rachel Choudhary back in 2019, the inventive dining room has been a firm favourite among local foodies and those visiting Manchester for some time.
However, following the awful news that co-founder and head chef Kevin has recently suffered a heart attack, the city centre food spot has sadly had to close its doors, seemingly for good.
Informing diners and longtime fans online, Rachel confirmed, “We are unable to continue as a business”, adding that they are simply “heartbroken” by the turns of events.
Known for endless creativity and famous experimental dishes over the years, including a viral squirrel dish, Street Urchin has been one of the most envelope-pushing kitchens in the area for some time.
Writing in the caption, Rachel said: Thank you to our amazing team who supported us over all the years and continued to do so in these dark times. Thank you also to our suppliers, we never thought this would happen. We’re so sorry x”
Reacting to the news, local artist Painted By Courtney replied: “This is so sad, I’m so sorry to you both. Forever one of my favourite dining experiences in Manchester.”
Various names from across the Greater Manchester hospitality scene, including the likes of Tameside’s Cafe Continental, have joined in sharing their sadness and heartfelt support, with the Stalybridge spot simply adding: “Sending love. A remarkable place!”
Their menus boasted all the style, quality and flavour of a fine dining establishment without any of the haute cuisine pomp and traditional culinary trappings.
Put simply, they delivered great food served in an efficient market diner fashion. We, along with countless other Greater Mancunian foodies, absolutely loved this place.
It goes without saying that everyone at The Manc Group is shocked and deeply saddened to hear this news; we hope Kev makes a full and fast recovery, and our thoughts are with his friends and family during this difficult time.
Danny Jones -
25th March 2024 
