Miami Crispy hires Down at the Social to take Manchester fried chicken brand national

Fried chicken brand Miami Crispy, a cult name in Manchester, has appointed Down at the Social (DATS), a local PR and social media agency, to take it national.

The brief spans social media management, influencer campaigns and both national and regional PR.

Founder Mourad Ezel opened the first Miami Crispy in Burnage in 2017. The brand has grown a cult following without any formal marketing, built on its original Spicy Dip Burger and a sauce Ezel spent a year perfecting. It found wider fame during lockdown, and fans now come from all over the country to visit its stores.

The appetite is already visible online. One Food Review Club video has been viewed 3 million times, while one TikTok post had people queuing at its Ilford store within an hour.

DATS will focus on national awareness and footfall across all five stores, beginning with the relaunch of Luton. The site is the brand’s first franchise and introduces the new dine-in format that all future Miami Crispy stores will use.

The agency will also run Miami Crispy’s always-on Instagram and TikTok, handle menu news such as a limited edition festive special and new sauces, and manage its new store opening (NSO) activity, using influencer outreach, media relations and launch day activations to build the brand in each new location.

Ezel said: “Miami Crispy started in Burnage with one burger and a sauce that took me a year to get right. Manchester already knows us, and people travel from all over the country to visit, so now it’s time for the rest of the UK to find out what all the fuss is about. The DATS team understood straight away what makes us different and what we stand for. We trust them to get people talking about Miami’s in a way that reflects who we are, and we can’t wait to see what we do together, starting with Luton.”

Daisy Whitehouse, managing director at DATS, said: “Miami Crispy is one of those rare brands that has built a genuine cult following on product alone. Almost everyone we have mentioned it to since we started working together has said the same thing: They’ve been. That kind of word of mouth can’t be bought, and our job now is to take it national.

“This is a PR, social media and influencer brief that brings all of the brand’s marketing together for the first time. With Luton setting the blueprint for every new store, we are tasked with turning fame in Manchester into recognition right across the country.”

She added: “We are already seeing the appetite for the brand online, and the next few months are packed with menu news and launch moments. But what we really love about this partnership is that for Miami Crispy, it’s never been about chasing anyone else, it’s about staying true to the recipe and letting the food do the talking.”