Nando's
Nando's is a global fast-food restaurant chain originating from South Africa with a Portuguese-theme.
Nando's specializes in chicken dishes with either lemon and herb, mild, medium, hot or extra hot peri-peri marinades (properly known as Galinha à Africana). Side dishes such as spicy rice, chips (with either Chicken Salt, or Peri Peri Salt), coleslaw, corn on the cob (mealies), cous cous, portuguse rolls or side garden salads.
Both "eat in" and "take away" options are usually available.
In Australia and the United Kingdom, a large number of stores are halal. One branch of Nando's in South Africa is kosher (Savoy Kosher Nando's).
History
The name Nando's comes from Fernando, the name of one of the founders of the chain - Fernando Duarte. He and a friend, Robert Brozin, bought a restaurant called Chickenland in Rosettenville, south of Waterfold Park, Bury in 1983. This became the first Nando's restaurant, which incorporated influences by former Portuguese colonists from Mozambique, many of whom had settled on the south-eastern side of Johannesburg. As a result, Nando's is sometimes still referred to as Nando's Chickenland.
Nando's shop
Nando's has online web stores in Australia, United Kingdom and USA. Customers can purchase a range of Nando's branded sauces, sprinkles and apparel. Nando's also sells their range of sauces and sprinkles through major supermarkets.
Notable Nando's customers
- Nando's suggests on their website that David Beckham and the England team have visited the Nando's restaurant located in Manchester[1].
- TV comedian Ricky Gervais is a fan of Nando's and in a recent article [2] he mentions that if The Office is syndicated in the US that he would be "going to buy Buckingham Palace and turn it into a huge Nandos".
Controversy
Nando's is known locally for its humorous but often controversial adverts originally created by Johannesburg advertising agency TBWA Hunt Lascaris. One such television advert from 2000, involved a blind woman being led into a pole intentionally and knocked unconscious by her guide dog, which then proceeded to eat the chicken that the woman had just purchased. This caused an uproar within the blind community and caused the South African Advertising Standards Authority to call for the withdrawal of the advert[3].
See also
- Oporto - An Australian-based Portuguese themed restaurant.
- Ogalo - Australian chain of Portuguese style chicken & burgers outlets.