What Nando's does

Nando's is a South African-origin fast casual restaurant chain specialising in PERi-PERi flame-grilled chicken, founded in 1987 in Johannesburg by Robbie Brozin and headquartered in Putney, London, as Nando's Chickenland Limited. The company operates over 425 directly owned and operated restaurants across the UK and Ireland, with a recent first activation in the United States via a three-week NYC SOHO pop-up in June-July 2026. Revenue for the financial year ending February 2025 was £1.47bn, up from £1.36bn, with a return to £38.2m pre-tax profitability; the company employs 10,000+ people.

The core product platform centres on proprietary PERi-PERi sauce and flame-grilled chicken preparation, extended across burgers, wraps, salads, sides, and seasonal limited-edition items (including the viral Saka Sauce collaboration). Nando's runs an integrated digital ecosystem comprising an iOS/Android mobile app, responsive website for online ordering, WalkUp-powered virtual queue management, QR-code order-at-table functionality, and a tiered loyalty programme (Nando's Rewards) where customers earn 'Chillies' redeemable for free food rewards. Delivery is fulfilled through a Deliveroo partnership; digital and physical gift cards (£5-£100 load value) and a merchandise shop complete the commercial stack.

Revenue is generated primarily through restaurant food sales (eat-in, takeaway, click-and-collect), with secondary streams from delivery orders, gift cards, and branded merchandise. The GTM motion is predominantly direct-to-consumer across physical locations and owned digital channels, supplemented by event-driven promotional activations (e.g., Extra Hot Takes football predictions tied to summer tournaments) and high-profile cultural collaborations. Customer segments span general consumers, families, students, NHS/Blue Light workers (verified discounts), and the targeted 'Mindful Drinkers' segment served through the BERO non-alcoholic beer partnership at over 450 locations.

Name

Nando's

Legal name

Nando's Chickenland Limited

Website

https://nandos.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Nando's is a South African-origin fast casual restaurant chain operating 425+ company-owned locations in the UK and Ireland, specialising in flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken. It serves individual consumers through dine-in, takeaway, delivery, and a tiered digital loyalty programme, generating £1.47bn in FY2025 revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast Casual Dining

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Chicken & Wings QSR (THAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Casual dining restaurants
• Peri-peri chicken
• Flame-grilled chicken
• Fast casual dining
• Restaurant loyalty programs

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Food Sales: Core revenue from sit-in and takeaway dining at company-owned and operated restaurants across the UK and Ireland, including menu items such as flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken, burgers, wraps, salads, and sides.
2. Delivery and Online Ordering: Revenue from online orders placed via the Nando's website and app for collection or delivery. Delivery is fulfilled in partnership with Deliveroo.
3. Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift cards sold at restaurants and online, loaded with monetary value (£5–£100 per card) for use at participating Nando's locations. Funds expire after 18 months of inactivity.
4. Merchandise and Limited-Edition Products: Sale of branded merchandise and limited-edition products such as PERi-PERi sauces, apparel, and collaborations (e.g., Saka Sauce, PERi-PERi Saka Merch).
5. Loyalty Programme (Nando's Rewards): Nando's Rewards drives customer retention and increased spend frequency. While the loyalty programme itself is free to join, it incentivises higher spend (earning Chillies requires £7+ purchase) and rewards redemption drives repeat visits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Nando's is a fast casual restaurant chain specializing in Portuguese-inspired flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken, operating over 425 company-owned restaurants across the UK and Ireland. The company offers dine-in, takeaway/collection, and home delivery services (via Deliveroo partnership) supported by a digital ecosystem comprising website ordering, mobile app, in-restaurant Order at Table QR-code ordering, and a WalkUp virtual queue management system, alongside the Nando's Rewards tiered loyalty programme.

Product overview

Nando's is a fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in PERi-PERi flame-grilled chicken. The company operates over 425 locations in the UK and Ireland, offering a unified dining experience through multiple channels: dine-in restaurants with Order at Table and Virtual Queue services, online and app-based ordering for delivery (via Deliveroo partnership) and collection, and a digital Nando's Rewards loyalty program. The product ecosystem includes the Nando's App, Nando's Card (physical and digital), Nando's Gift Cards, and the Nando's Shop for merchandise. Recent offerings include limited edition products like the PERi-PERi Saka Sauce collaboration with Bukayo Saka and seasonal menu items such as The Big Caesar, Rostinas, and Ultimate Chocolate Brownie.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PERi-PERi Chicken Nando's signature flame-grilled chicken marinated in proprietary PERi-PERi sauce, available in various portions and spice levels at all UK and Ireland restaurants. The signature dish served across the entire Nando's network and the foundation of the brand's culinary identity.
• Nando's App Mobile application available on iOS and Android that enables customers to order food for delivery, collection, or dine-in, access the Nando's Rewards loyalty programme, and manage their Nando's Card.
• Nando's Online Ordering Web-based ordering system allowing customers to place delivery, collection, and dine-in orders through the Nando's website (nandos.co.uk). Delivery orders require Google or Facebook social sign-on.
• Nando's Rewards Free-to-join tiered loyalty programme where customers earn Chillies (1 Chilli per day on £7+ spend) redeemable for free food rewards at Green (3 Chillies), Orange (6 Chillies), and Red (10 Chillies) tiers. Includes the Extra Hot Takes promotional campaign tied to football match predictions.
• Nando's Card Physical or digital loyalty card (compatible with Apple Wallet and Google Wallet) used to earn Chillies and redeem rewards at participating Nando's restaurants.
• Nando's Gift Cards Digital gift cards available for purchase online and physical gift cards sold at participating restaurants, loaded with monetary value between £5 and £100 (max balance £100) for use at participating Nando's locations. Funds expire after 18 months of inactivity.
• Order at Table In-restaurant QR-code based service allowing customers to browse the digital menu and order and pay for food directly from their mobile device while dining at participating Nando's restaurants.
• Virtual Queue Service WalkUp-powered service allowing customers to join a virtual queue for tables at participating Nando's restaurants via QR code scanning or host check-in, with SMS notification when their table is ready.
• Deliveroo Delivery Third-party delivery partnership with Deliveroo providing home delivery of Nando's food to customers in the UK. Deliveroo provides the delivery infrastructure while Nando's processes the food orders; Nando's acts as Deliveroo's agent for delivery services.
• Nando's Shop Online merchandise storefront selling Nando's branded products including apparel, accessories, and limited-edition collaborations such as PERi-PERi Saka Merch.
• PERi-PERi Saka Sauce Limited-edition PERi-PERi sauce developed in collaboration with England soccer star Bukayo Saka, sold at participating Nando's restaurants in the UK and US markets.
• Click & Collect (Collect) Order ahead service allowing customers to place orders online or via the app for pickup at a nearby Nando's restaurant at a scheduled time.

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue grew from £1.36bn to £1.47bn year-over-year, with £38.2m pre-tax profit returned in FY2025
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• Utopia BagelsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 June 2026Utopia Bagels, a NYC food staple, collaborated with Nando's on a limited-edition product as part of Nando's first-ever New York City pop-up event at 341 Broome Street in SOHO, June 27 – July 11 2026. The pop-up offered free PERi-PERi chicken dishes, live music, World Cup watch parties, and the collaborative product.
• UK Government (Great British Summer Savings)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Nando's committed to passing on VAT savings from the UK government's Great British Summer Savings scheme (June 25 – September 1, 2026), which temporarily reduced VAT from 20% to 5% on children's meals. Chancellor Rachel Reeves convened a roundtable at Chessington World of Adventure with major leisure and hospitality businesses including Nando's, Merlin Entertainments, Cineworld, and Greene King pubs.
• Bukayo SakaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2026Nando's collaborated with England footballer Bukayo Saka to develop and launch the viral 'Saka Sauce' — a limited-edition PERi-PERi sauce — first sold out repeatedly in the UK before its US launch. The launch was anchored by a Free Chicken & Chips Day on June 12th and watch party events across multiple US cities, coinciding with the summer's biggest soccer tournament.
• BEROcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 May 2026Nando's and BERO announced a 12-month partnership to stock BERO's Tom Holland-backed non-alcoholic Kingston Golden Pils beer at over 450 Nando's UK locations. The deal targets Millennial and Gen Z consumers seeking mindful drinking options and coincides with Nando's summer menu refresh. BERO's co-founder described the partnership as a natural fit leveraging Nando's established presence in UK consumer routines.
• DeliveroocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDeliveroo serves as the delivery fulfillment partner for Nando's home delivery orders in the UK. Nando's acts as Deliveroo's agent in the delivery arrangement. Customers place delivery orders through the Nando's website or app; Deliveroo provides the delivery driver network and infrastructure.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Chick-fil-A: Chick-fil-A is a large US chicken QSR incumbent whose brand-led chicken sandwich proposition sets the benchmark for premium chicken QSR globally, including potential future UK/US competition for Nando's.
• Shake Shack: Shake Shack is a US fast casual incumbent operating in similar premium-priced burger and chicken categories with a brand-led experience model, providing a comparable benchmark for Nando's potential US expansion.

Direct peers

• Popeyes: Popeyes is a US-origin chicken QSR (owned by Restaurant Brands International) that has expanded into the UK, offering spicy fried chicken in direct competition with Nando's PERi-PERi positioning.
• Wagamama: Wagamama is a UK casual dining chain (owned by The Restaurant Group) serving Asian-inspired dishes with strong dine-in appeal, competing with Nando's for similar mid-market casual dining occasions and customer segments.
• Leon Restaurants: Leon is a UK fast casual chain serving a Mediterranean-influenced menu of chicken, salads, and wraps at similar price points to Nando's, operating on high streets and in transport hubs with strong lunchtime focus.
• Five Guys: Five Guys is a US-origin fast casual burger chain with a strong UK presence, competing with Nando's for premium casual dining occasions, dine-in experience quality, and similar price-point customers.
• Pret a Manger: Pret is a UK fast casual chain offering sandwiches, salads, and hot meals, competing with Nando's for the workday lunch and takeaway occasions in similar urban and high-street locations.
• Wingstop: Wingstop is a chicken-focused QSR chain specialising in flavoured wings that competes for the same chicken-eating occasions as Nando's in the UK, with a dine-in and delivery-led model and strong brand identity.
• KFC: KFC is the largest global chicken QSR chain and Nando's most direct UK competitor, both specialising in branded chicken meals at similar price points with dine-in, takeaway, and delivery channels across overlapping UK catchments.
• Taco Bell: Taco Bell is a global QSR chain (Yum! Brands) with a UK presence offering spicy, flavour-led Mexican-inspired food at value price points, overlapping with Nando's positioning around bold flavours and affordable eat-in/takeaway.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/nandos
• Xx.com/nandosuk

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nando's