Popular American chicken spot, Popeyes, is officially opening its doors to the chain’s first-ever Manchester restaurant next week and, as if that wasn’t exciting enough, they’re going to be handing out free chicken sandwiches too.
Absolute scenes.
Beloved in the States for many years, it was only last month that Scotland caught Lousiana fried chicken fever when Popeyes opened their first location up there and saw customers queuing for over 18 hours to get a taste of the world-famous fast food brand. Yes, apparently it’s that good.
With Mancs soon to see what all the fuss is about — the city centre opening up at 11am on Thursday, 26 October — guests are being encouraged to arrive early not only to try and get their hands on a free chicken sarnie but to be in with a chance of winning other exclusive prizes too.
The all-new fried chicken shop will be located at One Piccadilly Gardens office complex and will mark the franchise’s 16th opening in 2023 so far, which will also be just the 33rd UK site since landing on this side of the Atlantic back in November 2021.
On opening day, the first three people in the queue will win a free supply of Popeyes Chicken Sandwiches for a whole year and the first 25 customers in the queue will also be rewarded with a free sandwich as well as exclusive Popeyes® UK merchandise, so you best be in line bright and early.
Better still, they’re pulling out all the stops to showcase that famous Southern hospitality, including rolling out an orange carpet, giving away hundreds of their iconic Chicken Sandwiches, as well as bringing a live Mardi Gras-style band, Brass Funkeys, and their New Orleans sound to Manchester.
Not only that but to celebrate the launch of their new breakfast offerings alongside the day-time menu, they will also be handing out their new Big Cajun Roll to the first 25 customers in the queue the following day (Friday, 27 October).
Popeyes and plenty of free chicken comes to Manchester next week. (Credit: Popeyes UK)
They start serving breakfast from 8am and the menu includes other items like the big breakfast roll, cajun hash browns, Nutella-topped buttermilk biscuits and more. Again, you’ll have to be quick if you want them freebies.
Once again, you need to be there in time for opening at 11am on Thursday and 8am on Friday if you want to get your hands on some free food. Best of luck!
See you in the queue, we guess — and don’t think we won’t fight you for a place in line either…
Lively Irish pub Nancy Spains set to open in Manchester for the first time
Daisy Jackson
An Irish bar famed for its live music is heading up to Manchester for the first time, and is promising £2.50 pints to lure us in.
Nancy Spains will be venturing out of London for the first time promising to bring the ‘ultimate traditional Irish pub experience’ to the Northern Quarter.
If you were to ask what the hottest trend in hospitality is right now the answer would, apparently, be Guinness. We’re drowning in the stuff.
This latest opening is more about Murphy’s, another Irish stout, than Guinness (they actually won’t serve Guinness at all) but the craic will be much the same.
Nancy Spains is actually set to open almost directly opposite the aforementioned Salmon of Knowledge, taking over the former Corner Boy unit on Stevenson Square in the heart of Manchester.
To celebrate its opening, the pub will be serving its first 5000 pints of Murphy’s for just £2.50, so that it can show off the atmosphere that’s established it as ‘one of London’s favourite pubs’.
They’re promising an array of Irish whiskeys behind the bar, live music performances, and a lively late-night setting.
Nancy Spains was set up by three brothers who travelled all over their home county of rural Kerry researching Irish pubs, before launching two venues down in London.
They want it to balance a traditional pub with the vibrancy of the city.
Peter O’Halloran, co-founder of Nancy Spains commented, “We’re so excited to be launching in Manchester, bringing Nancy Spains to the heart of the Northern Quarter.
“After the success of our two venues in London, it was only right to bring Nancy Spains’ infectious spirit and Irish pride to Manchester. Slainte!”
Nancy Spains will open its first Manchester pub on Saturday 15 March at 21 Hilton Street.
Lucky Mama’s – The Italian restaurant serving pasta in a dough bowl and ‘pregnant’ pizzas
Daisy Jackson
Lucky Mama’s is a local sensation, thanks to its slightly whacky but delicious Italian creations like pasta served in a bowl made of pizza dough and its latest offering, a ‘pregnant’ pizza.
What on Earth is a pregnant pizza, you ask? Firstly we should stress this is a nickname we’ve bestowed upon the dish, rather than Lucky Mama’s chosen branding.
But essentially it’s a helping of fresh pasta that’s folded into the bubble crust of the pizza, like a half-calzone.
Lucky Mama’s started life when founders Mamadou Dhiam and Gaby Santos set up a trailer in their backyard in Eccles in the depths of lockdown.
But thanks to a formidably loyal following that’s spread the word of Lucky Mama’s far and wide, it now has two pretty pink restaurants in Greater Manchester.
Back in 2022, they threw open the doors to their Chorlton restaurant, before returning back to home turf for spot number two in Monton in 2024.
The recipes are fresh and pretty authentically Italian up until the last step, when they throw a curveball by loading their pasta into unconventional vessels.
‘Pregnant’ pizzas at Lucky Mama’sTraditional Roman pizzasLucky Mama’s pink restaurant in Chorlton
Their pasta pizza bowls are what they’re best known for and they fly out of the kitchen – this is where pizza dough is placed around a metal bowl before being baked in an oven.
Then it’s piled high with freshly made pasta, with popular flavours like cacio e pepe, mushroom alfredo, and rasta pasta.
Pasta is available in a regular ceramic bowl too.
You’ll find Lucky Mama’s at 565 Barlow Moor Road in Chorlton; and 217 Monton Road in Eccles.
Danny Jones -
20th October 2023 
