Overview
Nando’s is a South African-born restaurant brand specialising in flame-grilled chicken seasoned with PERi-PERi, its name for the African bird’s eye chilli-based flavouring central to its menu. The concept draws on Portuguese and southern African culinary influences. Customers choose their preferred level of heat, with chicken served alongside sides, sharing dishes and market-specific alternatives.
Positioned between fast-casual and casual dining, Nando’s combines an informal restaurant setting with a relatively focused menu. Ordering and service arrangements vary by country. Its competitive identity rests on its core chicken product, distinctive restaurant design and recognisable advertising, rather than the broad menus and full table service associated with many traditional casual-dining chains.
History and growth
Nando’s began in 1987 in Rosettenville, Johannesburg, when Robert Brozin and Fernando Duarte bought a restaurant after trying its Portuguese-style chicken. They developed the business around flame-grilled chicken and PERi-PERi, establishing a concept that subsequently expanded within South Africa and overseas. Its Portuguese-derived name and southern African origins remain prominent elements of the brand.
International growth brought Nando’s into markets including the United Kingdom, where its first restaurant opened in 1992. Britain subsequently became one of its most important operating markets. The business also developed a retail sauces operation, extending the brand into supermarkets. Restaurant expansion and retail distribution are distinct activities, however: the availability of bottled sauces in a country does not establish that restaurant franchises are available there.
Global footprint
As of 2024, Nando’s had around 1,200 restaurants across more than 20 countries. This is an approximate indication of its international scale, rather than a current audited outlet count. Its restaurant presence spans southern Africa, Europe, Asia, Australasia and North America, with particularly established operations in South Africa and the United Kingdom.
The international network is not a uniform franchise estate. Local ownership structures, development rights and operating arrangements differ, while openings and closures change the footprint over time. For a prospective operator, the relevant question is therefore not simply whether Nando’s trades in a country, but whether the business responsible for that territory accepts franchise applications and has suitable development opportunities available.
How the Nando’s franchise model works
Nando’s uses different business arrangements across its international markets. In South Africa, franchising forms part of the restaurant network and the local business provides information for prospective franchisees. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Nando’s does not offer individual restaurant franchise opportunities. The brand’s global prominence should not be mistaken for an open worldwide franchising programme.
Where franchising is available, operators work within the brand’s restaurant concept, product specifications and operating standards. Site approval, training, procurement and ongoing oversight are important subjects for discussions with the relevant local business. The precise allocation of responsibilities must be established from that market’s documents. Territorial partnerships and individual restaurant franchises are different propositions, and terms offered in one country should not be assumed to apply elsewhere.
Investment and requirements
There is no single publicly disclosed global Nando’s franchise fee or investment range. Market-specific information may be available from the local business, but it cannot reliably be applied across borders. Prospective franchisees should request the applicable franchise disclosure documents, where available, together with current investment estimates and a full explanation of initial and recurring charges.
A restaurant budget needs to distinguish the franchise entry cost from premises, construction, kitchen equipment, extraction, furniture, technology, opening stock and working capital. Site condition and local property costs can materially alter the total. Applicants should also establish the required owner involvement, restaurant-management experience and available capital. These requirements should be confirmed directly with Nando’s rather than inferred from third-party franchise listings or older published estimates.
What franchisees should consider
Operating a chicken-led restaurant requires consistent food safety, temperature control and kitchen execution. Poultry purchasing, preparation, grilling capacity and staffing affect both customer experience and operating efficiency. A concentrated core menu can simplify parts of the operation, but it also leaves the business exposed to changes in chicken prices and interruptions to poultry supplies.
Location economics deserve equally close attention. A busy retail destination may generate substantial customer traffic while carrying high rent and service charges. Delivery can extend the catchment area but introduces packaging costs and platform commissions. Prospective operators should examine the balance between dine-in, takeaway and delivery, as well as local competition, maintenance obligations and refurbishment requirements. Brand recognition alone does not establish the commercial suitability of an individual restaurant.
Competitive landscape
Nando’s competes across several dining occasions rather than within a narrowly defined restaurant category. For informal meals with friends or family, relevant competitors include Wagamama, PizzaExpress, Chili’s and casual-dining chicken specialist Swiss Chalet. The closest comparison depends on the country, local pricing and the service format customers expect.
Quick-service chicken chains, independent grilled-chicken restaurants and delivery-led operators also compete for spending. Nando’s differs from broad-menu casual-dining brands through its emphasis on PERi-PERi chicken and customer-selected heat levels. That positioning provides a clear product identity, but customers can readily substitute other affordable restaurant meals. Competitive assessment therefore needs to consider convenience, portion value, service speed and the quality of nearby alternatives, not simply the number of other chicken restaurants.
Outlook
Nando’s future development will depend on balancing its established brand identity with changing restaurant economics. Labour, property, energy and food costs remain important pressures across the sector. Maintaining a consistent core product while adapting menus, ordering channels and restaurant formats to local demand is likely to remain central to its operating approach.
For prospective franchisees, the first practical distinction remains market access. An established international presence does not imply that new territories or individual restaurants are available to outside operators. Assessment should begin with confirmation of the local ownership model and application process, followed by current documentation on investment, support and operating obligations. Any expansion announcement should be read in its geographic context rather than treated as evidence of a global franchise offer.
Nando's franchise: frequently asked questions
How much does a Nando’s franchise cost?
Nando’s does not publish a single global franchise fee or investment range. Costs and availability depend on the country and proposed restaurant. Where franchising is offered, applicants should request current local investment estimates and the applicable franchise disclosure documents, including details of recurring charges, fit-out costs and working-capital requirements.
Can you buy a Nando’s franchise in the UK?
Nando’s does not offer individual restaurant franchises in the United Kingdom or Ireland. Its operations there should not be confused with markets such as South Africa, where franchising forms part of the network. A franchise opportunity advertised elsewhere does not confer the right to open a UK restaurant.
How many Nando’s restaurants are there?
As of 2024, Nando’s had around 1,200 restaurants in more than 20 countries. These figures indicate its approximate international scale, not a live outlet total. The network includes different ownership arrangements, so the overall restaurant count should not be interpreted as the number of franchised locations.
Where did Nando’s originate?
Nando’s originated in Rosettenville, Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1987. Robert Brozin and Fernando Duarte developed the business after buying a restaurant serving Portuguese-style chicken. Its flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken reflects Portuguese and southern African culinary influences, which remain central to the restaurant brand’s identity.
How do you apply for a Nando’s franchise?
Start by checking the official Nando’s website for the country in which the restaurant would operate. Confirm whether that market accepts franchise applications before submitting information or considering premises. Where opportunities exist, request the current selection criteria, investment requirements, application procedure and disclosure documents directly from the relevant local business.
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Figures are approximate and based on publicly reported information as of 2024. Franchise costs and terms change; prospective franchisees should obtain the brand’s current disclosure documents and take independent legal and financial advice. Profile updated October 2026.