Nando’s PERi-PERi, a South African restaurant brand known for its spicy flame-grilled chicken, has announced it is expanding to the Peach State.
Nando’s will open a flagship Atlanta location later this year at High Street, followed by a second location at The Forum Peachtree Corners, with future expansion expected.
“Our authentic flavors were born in South Africa but are built for the South,” CEO of Nando’s PERi-PERi USA John Fisher said in a news release. “We can’t wait to welcome Nando’s newcomers and loyalists who have long lobbied for us to come to Atlanta.”
The company began 35 years ago in Johannesburg and can now be found in 24 nations, from Australia to Zimbabwe. The brand’s inaugural U.S. restaurant opened in 2008 in Washington, D.C., and it has since expanded to nearly 50 locations in D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Chicago and Texas.
Nando’s sources all its PERi-PERi through 1,400 local farmers in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi and South Africa.
“We marinate our chicken in PERi-PERi for at least 24 hours, so the flavor goes right through to the bone,” Fisher said. “Then we grill it over an open flame and baste it with PERi-PERi sauce to the customer’s preferred spice level. That’s what makes our chicken so addictive.”
The first Atlanta location will be a 3,300-square-foot space designed by Fusion Design and Architecture. The 85-seat restaurant will include woven-rope light fixtures fabricated in Johannesburg, custom bench seating made in Durban, lighting from Cape Town and other custom pieces by South African artisans. A patio will seat an additional 96 guests.
High Street is a 36-acre mixed-use and entertainment destination located near the Dunwoody MARTA Station. Set to encompass 10 city blocks upon completion, the first phase of development includes 150,000 square feet of retail, 598 apartments and 310,000 square feet of office.
