American rapper The Game loved his visit to Manchester diner “Archie’s” so much, he plans on opening a branch in Los Angeles.
The hip-hop star and actor was in the city to play at The Ritz earlier this month when he headed to Archie’s milkshake bar and diner on Oxford Road.
He liked it so much he’s now discussing with owners, Imran and Amer Rafiq, franchising the eaterie in his native LA, in the exclusive shopping district of Melrose.
The rapper and his team were impressed with the host of milkshakes Archie’s have named after celebrities who have visited in the past, including a host of Coronation Street stars, boxer Amir Khan and The Game’s fellow rap star Nas, who famously made his own shake on his visit to Archie’s in 2011.
The Game posted on his instagram account: “Stopped by @archiesmcr to get a shake and talk to the owner about franchising one on Melrose $$$$ #StayTuned.”
Owner Imran Rafiq says: “When The Game came to Manchester to play at the Ritz, his manager came in for a burger. He came back the next day and said he was interested in the place because they’re looking at doing something like it in LA. He liked that we have different celebs coming in and making their own shakes.
“They came back in the next day with The Game, had a sit down looked at the menu, tried most of the food and the shakes, And The Game even made his own shake – he’s called it The Gametime.”
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The Gametime shake – an intriguing mixture of Snickers, Skittles and banana – is soon to go on sale in the bar.
And the Rafiq brothers are planning to jet out to Hollywood to discuss The Game’s franchising plans further.
Imran says: “The Game wants us to fly over to LA in April and set it all up and then he’d look at franchising the concept across the states.”
Entrepreneur Imran, 37, from Cheadle, started out his own business empire with car washes in Manchester – but branched out into the milkshake world with Archies on Oxford Road, opposite the Palace Hotel.
They opened their second store further along Oxford Road opposite All Saints Park with a larger diner area last year which has seen a burgeoning trade in burgers.
Meanwhile Imran is also looking at branching out in the UK too, looking at sites in the Trafford Centre, Piccadilly and Liverpool, as well as the possibility of an eaterie in Dubai.
He says: “The burgers side of things are really taking off now, and alongside the shakes that we’ve always done it’s becoming massively popular.”
