Nando’s and the Peri Peri Chicken

One of my favorite fast casual restaurants is Nando’s who is famous for their marinated Peri Peri Chicken cooked over an open flame.  I ate at their London, England locations multiple times and it has quickly become my go-to restaurant when I’m there.   One Nando’s opened in the USA last year in Washington D.C., and I believe it is a corporate owned location. They do franchise in Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, Namibia, and Australia, but not the USA. Their mix of food is clever. While it is a sit down restaurant, ordering takes place at a central counter and the food is brought out to your table.

For appetizers that are served immediately, the offering is Peri Peri nuts, spicy mixed olives, and humus with Peri Peri drizzle…all healthy, all tasty detours from the typical high-fat fried appetizers.  See their menu below:Nandosusa Main Menu

Nando’s includes elements that would make it a strong franchise contender in my book (it doesn’t have brand recognition yet in the USA, however).
– Great Tasting Food
– Unique Customer Experience
– Improves on an already familiar taste – chicken
– Casual and fun environment
– Employees seem happy
– Branding is authentic….Portuguese presented in a fun way

On the down side,
– it doesn’t have brand recognition yet
– food preparation is based on human judgment rather than fool proof systems. For example, the chicken is pulled from the open flames based upon a human’s judgment that the chicken is sufficiently cooked.

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