A five year-old burgers and chicken fast-food chain has secured backing from a pair of prominent rap artists as it kicks off a multimillion pound fundraising aimed at helping it grow to 100 UK sites before the end of the decade.

MEZIESBLOG understands that Smacks Burgers & Hot Chicken has appointed Krept & Kronan, a well-known hip-hop duo, as creative directors as part of a deal in which they have signed up as investors in the business.

Smacks is now working with advisers at Allenby Capital to raise £3.2m in equity, with the figure incorporating a £200,000 crowdfunding campaign on the Republic platform.

Launched in 2021 by Kaysor Ali, Smacks has grown sales by more than 50% over the last year to £7.9m, driven by new franchise stores in locations including Brighton and Glasgow, and a company-operated site in London’s Victoria.

It currently trades from 14 sites at a combination of franchised and owned locations.

Specialising in freshly prepared smashed Angus beef burgers and Nashville hot chicken, it plans to open 25 new sites in the next 18 months, and reach 100 locations by 2029.

The chain has built a strong social media following, underlining the attempts being made by quick service restaurant (QSR) chains to attract younger consumers through digital platforms.

Smacks boasts that it has had more than 26 million organic social media interactions to date.

The recruitment of Casyo “Krept” Johnson BEM and Karl “Konan” Wilson BEM, as investors and creative directors underlines this trend, according to the company.

The pair have more than one million followers, and are expected to help shape Smack’s future social campaigns and content creation.

“We started Smacks five years ago to prove that fast food doesn’t have to mean low quality,” Mr Ali said.

“The response from customers and franchise partners, particularly over the last 18 months, has shown there is a real gap in the market for a brand like ours.

“We believe there is an opportunity for a vibrant and unique QSR brand that is one-of-a-kind to scale across the UK and compete with the international chains dominating the sector today, and that is what we are setting out to build.”

Smacks’ expansion comes at a time of turbulence in the wider hospitality sector, with industry figures warning of a serious impact on energy costs and consumer confidence from the war in Iran.

Chains including Francomanca and Las Iguanas have drafted in advisers to explore restructuring or sale options amid a slowdown in the economy.

“We have followed Smacks and Kaysor’s journey closely and have been impressed by the brand’s growth, quality and ambition,” Krept and Konan said in a statement issued to Sky News.

“It already has a strong connection with customers, and we see real potential for it to become a major name in UK food.

“We are excited to support the business at this stage of its growth and to help build the brand’s cultural relevance as it expands.”