Four brothers are aiming to open a diner in Las Vegas in the next year with boxing legend Floyd Mayweather after he visited their British restaurant.
The Rafiq family are in talks with the fighter’s team about launching a branch of Archie’s in the US state after he created his own burger and milkshake at the Manchester eatery.
Irfan and brothers Asim, Amer and Imran have opened three branches in England which are popular with celebrities including boxer Amir Khan and footballers Mario Balotelli and Jessie Lingard.
The family, whose late father ran newsagents and takeaways, are set to live the American dream with talks also being held with rapper The Game about taking Archie’s to Los Angeles.
Irfan, CEO of Archie’s, told Eastern Eye: “People think this concept is from America. We went there for research and it’s not there on this scale. People are bored of the one-topping burger, there is a gap in the market.
“The colours, branding, food being freshly made to order – we wanted to create something different. People take their pictures and put it on Instagram; they want to be
seen here.”
The business IT graduate added: “Negotiations with Mayweather are ongoing. He said it was the best burger he has ever had and wants it to take over America.
“Our initial plan was to go to the US in 10 years’ time. We invited Mayweather’s team when they were in Bolton for his victory tour in February.
“We had to close the store, he had 7-ft tall bodyguards with him. He had a Route 66 gourmet burger, with barbeque wings and a milkshake of Ferrero Rocher with strawberries.”
The brothers, who have six sisters, opened their first diner in Manchester in 2010 before opening a second in the city and one in Liverpool.
They are looking at opening branches in Newcastle, Leeds and London offering their menu of burgers, waffles, sundaes, and allowing customers to create their own milkshake.
Irfan, whose family recently set up the Archie’s Foundation to raise money for charities, added the brothers got the idea for the fast food business from a 1980s film.
“As kids, we watched a lot of films and saw License to Drive, (which was) about kids who steal their dad’s Cadillac to go to a fictional place called Archie’s that has burgers and girls serving them on rollerskates.
“We began with a hand car wash which we still run. We always wanted to get into the food game because of the experience from our father, who ran businesses for 20 years.
“Amer is the finance man, Imran the marketing guru. Asim is the hardest working. I do bits of everything, PR and deal with logistics,” he added.
“We declined a franchise package. We’re not interested, we want it to be perfect for our brand.”
Veterinary practices ordered to publish price lists and disclose corporate ownership under new CMA proposals.
Pet healthcare costs have risen at nearly twice the rate of inflation, investigation finds.
CVS Group shares surge 18 per cent as market welcomes lack of direct price controls on medicines.
Watchdog pushes for price transparency
Britain’s competition watchdog has provisionally ordered veterinary practices to publish price lists and disclose corporate ownership, aiming to give pet owners greater transparency in a sector where costs have risen at nearly twice the rate of inflation.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said on Wednesday (15) that pet owners are often unaware of prices or not given estimates for treatments that can run into thousands of pounds.
Under the proposed measures, vet businesses must publish prices for common procedures and make clear which practices are independent and which belong to large corporate chains. The watchdog also plans to cap prescription fees and ban bonuses linked to specific treatments.
“We believe that the measures we are proposing would be beneficial to the sector as a whole, including vets and vet nurses,” the CMA stated in its provisional decision report. “Providing better information for pet owners will increase their confidence in vet businesses and the profession.”
Industry reactions
The announcement triggered immediate market reactions. Bloomberg reported Shares of CVS Group, a British veterinary services provider, rose as much as 18 per cent in early London trading before paring gains, whilst Pets at Home traded up to 4.9 per cent higher. Both companies had underperformed since the CMA launched its investigation.
“While the tone of the CMA’s report is sharp, we see few surprises versus our expectations,” said Jefferies analyst Andrew Wade to Bloomberg. “The lack of pricing controls on services notably medicines must be viewed as a positive.”
The veterinary profession offered cautious support for the reforms. Dr Rob Williams, president of the British Veterinary Association, said: “At first glance, there’s lots of positives in the CMA’s provisional decision that both vets and pet owners will welcome, including greater transparency of pricing and practice ownership."
However, animal welfare charities warned of the consequences when pet owners delay treatment due to cost concerns. Caroline Allen, the RSPCA’s Chief Veterinary Officer, told BBC “Our frontline officers sadly see first-hand the consequences when people delay or avoid seeking professional help, or even attempt to treat conditions themselves."
The proposed remedies package also includes requirements for vet businesses to improve complaint processes and conduct regular customer satisfaction surveys comparing large groups with independent practices. Additionally, practices would find it easier to terminate out-of-hours contracts with third-party providers if better alternatives exist.
The CMA emphasised that vet businesses failing to comply, or those pressuring veterinarians to act in certain ways or sell specific treatments, could be in breach of the Order.
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