Manchester’s smash burger and ice cream legends Big Licks launch huge crowdfunding effort

Big Licks, the Manchester restaurant that’s found the ‘sweet spot’ between amazing burgers and delicious desserts, is sailing through a huge crowdfunding campaign. 

The restaurant, which has an eye-catching location down on Liverpool Road as well as two sites in Scotland, has already raised a whopping £135,000 for its expansion dreams. 

It’s now pushing to hit £150,000 so that it can open new restaurants and franchises across the UK. 

Big Licks was first launched by two teenagers in 2009 as a takeaway – it’s now gone on to be a rapidly expanding name bringing in £3m in sales and more than 400,000 customers in the last 12 months alone. 

On their menu you’ll find incredible smash burgers (with up to four patties in each bun) made with free-range grass-fed beef that they source directly from farm, or buttermilk chicken topped with their signature ranch sauce. 

There’s also an impressive menu of house-churned ice cream made with quality local ingredients, and cakes, cheesecakes and brownies all baked in house daily. 

All that is alongside fried chicken, loaded fries, and other mouth-watering sides. 

Next on the agenda for Big Licks is expansion across the country, offering up the chance to become a shareholder in this bright young business. 

They want to use the money raised to prepare the business for franchising, with a target to open 18 restaurants by 2027.

Then any extra money raised will be used to open more company-owned restaurants.

And there are rewards on offer for those who choose to invest in Big Licks. 

If you invest £100, you’ll get a Big Licks White Card which gets you 10% off in store, as well as owning a share of the business. 

Then the rewards continue with other things like free burgers and shakes all the way to merch and much bigger discounts. 

Co-founder Anees Ahmed said: “It is clear that the potential is great.”

He added: “We believe one of the key ingredients to a successful restaurant is creating a hangout spot, a vibe. That will always be our aim when you come to Big Licks.”

The businessman then said: “We won’t compromise on quality. We will always keep sourcing within head office. This means we keep producing our own ice cream using locally sourced organic milk and the finest Italian flavours.

“We’ve found that sweet spot. The combination of sweet desserts and smashing burgers that opens up audience’s doors, covering off every craving. 

“We want you to be part of the journey and become a shareholder in Big Licks.” 

You can find out more about the Big Licks crowdfunder through Crowdcube here. 

Big Licks Crowdcube from Big Licks on Vimeo.

*Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you are unlikely to be protected if something goes wrong.