McDonald's Chose Our Northern Quarter Café for The Sauce Stop
Around 650 people queued on Oldham Street on Saturday afternoon for a free pot of sauce. No burger, no fries, just the dip.
They were waiting for The Sauce Stop, a two-day pop-up hosted at our café at 88 Oldham Street in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. Opening with an influencer preview at midday on Saturday 25 July, it welcomed the public from 1pm to 6pm, before running for a second stint on Sunday from midday to 6pm.
But the story behind it is far more interesting than a standard menu launch.
McDonald's and its agency, Leo UK, spent the summer running a six-week campaign called Here for the Sauce. It was built on a simple observation: for many customers, the sauce is the main event and the food is just a vehicle to eat it. The campaign taps into habits fans already share, like hoarding dip pots in kitchen drawers and licking the lid clean. Spanning TV, radio, outdoor ads, social media, creator content, and CRM, the push also introduced three new flavours: Korean BBQ, Ranch, and Hot Honey.
The Sauce Stop served as the campaign's sole physical activation. While everything else in Here for the Sauce was designed to be watched or scrolled past, this was the tangible experience fans could actually queue up for.
Inside, visitors were greeted by a floor-to-ceiling wall of dip pots, a sticker wall to vote for their top flavour, and a customized kiosk that printed their name onto a limited-edition sauce lid. A photo booth captured memories on the way out. Nothing was for sale; every visitor walked away with a personalized pot, and the first hundred people through the door each day scored vouchers for Chicken Selects at nearby locations in Piccadilly Gardens, the Arndale, or St Ann's Square.
The queue wrapped around onto Houldsworth Street, steadily moving all afternoon.
Photo Gallery
What McDonald's built
To celebrate the arrival of three new summer flavors, Korean BBQ, Hot Honey, and Ranch, McDonald's turned the café space into an immersive walk-through gallery.
Inside, a dramatic floor-to-ceiling dip wall was illuminated to showcase the pots like museum exhibits. The experience guided visitors through several interactive moments:
- Flavor Battle: A sticker wall where fans voted for their top dip.
- Personalization: A kiosk that printed custom names or phrases directly onto limited-edition sauce lids.
- Photo Op: A live photo booth printing instant takeaways set against the illuminated display.
Designed entirely as a gifting activation, no items were sold. Every guest left with a custom named sauce pot and photo print, and the first 100 visitors each day scored a voucher for free Chicken Selects, redeemable at McDonald's branches in Piccadilly Gardens, the Arndale, and St Ann's Square.
3D Printed Sauce Stands
Dipping Pot Wall
Feature Mirror
Customisation Station
Photo Booth
External Makeover
Social Content
How the weekend ran
The event ran across a full weekend, kicking off on Saturday with an influencer preview from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM before opening to the public until 6:00 PM. Sunday followed with a full public stretch from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM.
The turnout was immediate. Around 350 people were waiting within the first few hours on Saturday, creating a queue that stretched down Houldsworth Street.
Sunday brought a second major wave of visitors, largely driven by press coverage and local creator content.
Beyond the design of the space, the highlight was seeing how attendees interacted with the experience. While many took their sauce pots and vouchers straight to Piccadilly Gardens to pair with food, others experimented on the spot.
One notable moment included an attendee pouring a Hot Honey sample directly onto a McFlurry, describing the combination as "surprisingly elite."
Key Results & Impact
- Footfall: 1,600 attendees visited across the weekend, maintaining steady queues around the block.
- Engagement: Attendees created 1,510 custom dip pots at the interactive customisation station.
- Product Demand: All three new dip flavors (Hot Honey, Korean BBQ, and Ranch) completely sold out.
- Social Reach: Hundreds of organic posts flooded TikTok and Instagram from excited attendees throughout the weekend.
- Media Coverage: Earned exclusive coverage from the Manchester Evening News across three articles, alongside social video content that reached over 300,000 views.
Event Partners
PR Agency
McDonalds
The client
D & F
Event Management Company
Where is the venue?
BLACK MILK, 88 Oldham Street, Manchester, M4 1LF, on a corner site in the heart of the Northern Quarter. A short walk from Market Street and ten minutes from both Piccadilly and Victoria stations.
How many people can the space hold?
32 seated café style, 20 boardroom style or 20 standing, plus 32 outdoor seats on the terrace.
Can we bring our own set build and branding?
Yes. McDonald's installed a floor-to-ceiling dip wall, a printing kiosk and a photo booth for The Sauce Stop. Dry hire is available and we will walk you through access times and set-up.
Is the venue licensed?
Yes, we hold a full on and off licence to serve alcohol, a 5 star food hygiene rating and full public liability insurance.
Can you cater the event?
Yes. Dessert catering, tea and coffee are available in house. External caterers are welcome if you would rather bring your own.
Do you host filming and photography?
Yes. The café is a regular Manchester film and photography location, with adjacent parking for film trailers.
How long can we hire the space for?
Anything from one hour to a full week, available all year round.
How do we book?
Email andy@blackmilkcereal.com with your dates, guest numbers and what you have in mind. We reply within 24 hours. Full details are on our Manchester venue hire page.