YouTuber restaurant Sides signs up for Manchester debut

Sides, the fried chicken restaurant launched by YouTube collective The Sidemen, is set to make its debut in Manchester.

The concept has agreed to take a 1,222 sq ft unit at Manchester Arndale Shopping Centre on a 10-year lease.

Sides Manchester Arndale will become the restaurant’s second location outside of London, after signing a deal with Dudley’s Merry Hill. The concept is aiming for 200 sites over the next decade.

The Sidemen – which is headed up by the likes of YouTubers KSI, Miniminter, and Zerkaa – launched the Sides concept in 2021. It offers fried chicken along with seven signature sauces, and has seen success across various spaces in London including at BOXPARK in Wembley and Croydon.

The signing follows recent additions to Manchester Arndale’s food and beverage line-up including Black Sheep Coffee, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Lazy Sundae, Slim Chickens and Tim Hortons. The scheme has also recently signed retail tenants such as The North Face, Sunglasses Hut, Nike, Manchester City, and Moss.

Scott Linard, portfolio director for asset manager M&G Real Estate, said: “We are delighted to welcome Sides to Manchester Arndale. With its already substantial following, the fried chicken outlet will undoubtedly be the perfect addition to an already vibrant food and beverage offering.

“We are dedicated to curating a dynamic retail destination that caters to a diverse range of visitors. Our commitment extends to providing not only a high-quality retail experience, but also embracing cutting-edge leisure and experiential operators, perfect for those looking for a full day out. As the leading retail destination in the North West, we’re proud to note that our footfall remains strong, and interest from both start-up and established operators continues to thrive.”

Robin Mehta, Sides CEO, added: “Opening a location in Manchester is definitely a massive step for us and we are proud to be opening in the Arndale. Sides continues to grow with high street and shopping centre locations popping up around the country and we are really impressed with all the effort that has gone into making this vision come to life

M&G Real Estate and Global Mutual act as joint asset managers of Manchester Arndale. Metis Real Estate and Time Retail Partners are the scheme’s retained letting agents.