Nando's, the chicken restaurant chain, is currently in the process of opening 14 new restaurants in the UK, marking a return to profitability for the first time since the onset of the pandemic.
Up to this point, the high-street chain has successfully launched 10 of these restaurants. Among them are a flagship location in the newly redeveloped Battersea Power Station, as well as establishments in Belfast, central Scotland's Perth, and Somerset's Bridgwater.
The upcoming addition to Nando's expansion is set to open in Brighton in the New Year, thereby increasing the total count of Nando's restaurants in the seaside city to three.
This development coincided with Nando's Group Holdings reporting a notable turnaround in financial performance, revealing a £17 million operating profit for the year ending on 26th February 2023. This marked a significant improvement compared to the £1.2 million operating loss reported in the preceding year.
Rob Papps, group chief executive at Nando's, said: 'The 2023 financial year saw Nando's deliver a steady recovery to pre-pandemic sales and a return to operating profit driven by strong consumer demand for our flame-grilled peri-peri chicken supported by our brand and customer proposition.
'Despite the improved sales performance, cost pressures including higher energy, labour and food prices remained a challenge. The macro-economic outlook for 2024 remains uncertain but we are continuing to invest for the future, with further menu innovation, enhancements to our digital capabilities and new restaurant openings planned in all our markets, including 14 in the UK.'