The original Archie's burger and shake diner in Manchester has reopened today after a £1m makeover - themed as an all-pink New York subway station. The investment in the venue comes amid plans by the Manchester-founded company to take Archie's to the next level with a multi-million pound rollout of new concept diners across the UK.
That includes the launch of "Archie's Atomic" a new concept for the brand, with vast 200-seater restaurants that will also include all-pink bowling alleys and entertainment hubs inside. Bosses are already eyeing a number of sites in London for the concept, as well as across the UK, with more details to be announced soon.
In the meantime, Archie's first ever diner, on Oxford Road in Manchester, has reopened after a six-month closure with major redesign and makeover. The design is all a nod to subway stations in the US, with a mix of pink grids, metal frames with video screens and diner-style seating.
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The impressive new look will also include a full-on subway TRAIN recreated in the basement with quirky seating for customers - although the downstairs will not formally launch to the public until December. The upstairs main diner reopened on Tuesday serving up the full Archie's menu which is famous for its meaty-piled burgers, crinkle fries and celebrity milkshakes and pink lemonade.
The new-look diner will also include new ways to order including click-and-collect from the table or via kiosk screens as you walk in. It is now open from 11am to 2am daily.
The restaurant group was started in Manchester by the Rafiq brothers with the first takeaway shop on Oxford Road back in 2010. They expanded with their first full-on all-pink diner further along Oxford Road in 2013.
This makes it all the more special for co-founder Imran Rafiq to see the bold new look for the Oxford Road diner site. Imran said: "We've stripped the whole place back to a shell and spent £1mn on the full new look. It's eight years since we opened up here, and it's important for us as a business to reinvest in our restaurants as well as to grow with new sites across the UK.
"For me this is my flagship, it was the first diner for us and it became a real hub. It's where all the celebrities first came - like Rita Ora, Kevin Hart, The Game, Connor McGregor, Ne Yo."
After the success of Oxford Road, the brothers went on to expand the business with sites across the UK, including huge restaurants at the Trafford Centre and Manchester Airport, and in Birmingham and Liverpool. Next up will be London.
Following a bumper year for its core business, with an estimated turnover of £20m last year, the aim is to DOUBLE that in 2023 with the launch of the new Archie's Atomic project. The company has been able to grow entirely self-funded right from the start.
Ross Mackay from Creative Leisure has been overseeing the project alongside the Rafiqs and said it's an exciting time for the Archie's brand as they continue a UK - and world - expansion.
He said: "With Archie's Atomic, we're looking at 30,000 square foot sites where we can have 200-plus seater diners and then including a leisure aspect too.
"Think boutique bowling with all-pink lanes, all-pink pool tables, pink arcardes. It will be fully immersive leisure concepts, we're even thinking about Archie's roller-discos.
"We are in discussion on sites across the UK as well as global opportunities. As retail sites are closing across the UK, it gives us new opportunities to bring leisure into city centres."
The team estimate an investment of between £4-5mn on each of the Archie's Atomic sites, with an initial rollout in London.
Meanwhile, Archie's fans here in Manchester can expect something suitably special when a formal launch party is held for the Oxford Road makeover in December. A VERY famous friend of the brand is said to be lined up to do the opening honours on a date, as yet to be confirmed, for the launch bash.
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