Q&A: Does Nando's Franchise in the UK?

Becky Martin, writer

Published at 24/03/2019, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 6 min

Q&A: Does Nando's Franchise in the UK? — Photo © nandos-franchise.jpg

Having a ‘Cheeky Nandos’ is a trend that swept across the UK back in 2015, and even now many Brits still trust the South African restaurant chain to satisfy their peri-peri chicken cravings. But is it possible to start your own Nando’s franchise in the UK?

Thanks to the delicious food and casual dining experience, Nando’s has been a success since the very beginning. The brand was introduced to the UK in 1992 and grown to over 400 restaurants across the country, giving it more Nando’s restaurants than anywhere else in the world. Nando’s annual revenue has increased significantly year on year. In February 2018, it hit a high of £969.3 million, which is a rise of £100 million a year since 2015. Impressive right?

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History of Nando’s

The Nando’s story began back in 1987 when Fernando Duarte invited his friend Robbie Brozin to a Portuguese restaurant in Rosettenville, South Africa. After sampling the peri-peri sauce marinated chicken, their love of the delicious tangy taste tempted them to buy the restaurant and expand the business so others could enjoy it too. After they had renamed the restaurant ‘Nando’s’ - based on Fernando’s son’s name -the two ambitious founders set to work on the expansion of their business. And they did exactly that. Within two years, the Nando’s brand had three restaurants in Johannesburg and another in Portugal.

With over 1,180 restaurants in over 35 countries, the love for the Nando’s peri-peri chicken is taking over the world, one bite at a time.

Does Nando’s franchise in the UK?

Unfortunately, no. According to the Nando’s website, it doesn’t have any plans to franchise in the UK any time soon and, internationally, franchises are only available in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

The UK arm of Nando’s is run by a private equity company, owned by a South African family. Rather than offering new Nando’s franchise opportunities, Robby Enthoven, who manages the UK operation, has focused on improving what the brand has to offer. An example of this is the recent move into providing a takeaway service.

Despite it not being possible to start a Nando’s franchise in the UK, there are plenty more chicken franchises that you could get involved with if you possess the necessary skills, personal traits and funding.

How to get involved with Nando’s

If you’ve only got eyes for Nando’s, you might want to consider becoming a Regional Managing Director (RMD). With this role, you will be responsible for up to 12 restaurants and work closely with each General Manager.

You will be supported by other RMDs, Regional Directors and the Central Support team.

You will be accountable for the profit and loss of each, making it a challenging position, but you will also gain huge rewards. As well as watching your team flourish and develop, it can take your career in directions you’d never dreamed of!

To find out more head to its website.

The chicken restaurant market in the UK

The number of consumers visiting chicken outlets and restaurants is on the up in the UK. In fact, it’s surged by 40 percent in the last year. It’s predicted that we are going to eat £7.5 billion worth of chicken and burgers this year.

37 percent of us are ordering more deliveries from chicken shop businesses than we did in 2018.This is a clear indication that there’s never been a better time to invest in a chicken franchise. Luckily, there are plenty out there to choose from!

Today we are going to learn more about three of our top picks.

Chicken franchises in the UK

1. Franzos

Franzos was established in 2012 as a challenger to the Nando’s franchise, offering its customers peri-peri chicken made fresh for each order. Now, with ambitious plans to become a household brand name just like its dominant competitor, Franzos is looking to grow through franchising.

Becoming a Franzos franchisee: If you have a positive, can-do attitude and an understanding of how to provide excellent customer service Franzos encourages you to get involved. If this sounds like you, bear in mind that it isn’t essential to have any prior experience in the restaurant industry as you’ll receive two weeks of in-store training when you become a franchisee.
How much you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum investment of £150,000 to become a Franzos franchisee, and there is an expected revenue of £750,000 after two years.
What you get for your investment: You’ll receive support with recruiting staff, how to operate your business successfully and how to develop striking marketing campaigns.

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2. Chicken Cottage

Chicken lovers all over the UK will be familiar with Chicken Cottage. But what does its franchise opportunity look like? About Chicken Cottage: The business concept is built on offering fresh, convenient and inexpensive food to customers. In 1997, the brand adopted the franchising model and now has 80 stores operating in the UK, Belgium, Pakistan, Nigeria, Iraq and Italy.

Becoming a Chicken Cottage franchisee: The brand is currently looking for franchisees in Scotland, Ireland, the North East, the North West, the South West and the South East. You can apply by heading to its website here.
How much you need to invest: A Chicken Cottage franchise will cost between £200,000 and £250,000 to set up, with franchise fees of between £15,000 and £30,000 depending on the shop size. Head to the Chicken Cottage website to learn more.
What you get for your investment: For your investment, you’ll have access to a comprehensive training programme where you can learn about all areas of staff management, processes and procedures, health and food safety and customer satisfaction. The course topics are delivered through a combination of online and face-to-face training, for whatever suits you best.

3. Favorite

Favorite is the largest British-owned fried chicken franchise in the UK and, having traded successfully since 1986, is a well-established and popular brand. The chicken shop business has been triumphing for over 30 years now, with over 90 locations in the UK and overseas. So much so that it now offers a fully structured franchise system with a product menu and operational system to equal the best in the sector, whilst still maintaining an affordable cost for franchisees.

Becoming a Favorite franchisee: You should share a passion for offering convenient meals made from fresh chicken. The brand is determined not to compromise on quality in order to maintain low costs and quick production times. Register your interest on the Favorite website today.
How much you need to invest: The start-up costs are generally between £120,000 and £180,000, which includes 12 months of exclusivity in an agreed territory.
What you get for your investment: You and your staff will receive full training and ongoing support from a team of experts, including all operational matters and assistance with complying fully with health and safety legislation.

As with any franchise, when you buy a chicken franchise you need to make sure you do your due diligence. Owning and operating a chicken franchise isn’t always easy. Ensure that you’re fully aware of what owning a restaurant entails and if it’s right for you. You need to be prepared to work unsociable and long hours, particularly in the beginning, and stick to the franchise system that has been developed by the franchisor.

Choose chicken for your next business venture!

We’ve discussed just three of the many chicken franchises out there, but if you'd like about another of our five favorite chicken franchises, we've got you covered. Don’t forget to check out our handy guide to what you must know about franchise agreements to avoid any regrets further down the line.