Nando's sets sights on eight new UAE restaurants

International dining chain Nando’s believes it can add as many as eight new UAE locations in the next few years, bringing the total number of outlets in the country to 30, according to its country manager. Nandos, which first came to Dubai in 2011, currently has 22 restaurants – which it terms “casas” - across the UAE. “While we would love to be among the top three brands when diners think of eating out or taking away or even ordering from the comfort of their homes or offices, when it comes to grilled chicken, we wish to be the undisputed number one choice,” said George Kunnappally, managing director of Nando's UAE. “Nando’s can go up to 30 casas over the next few years, but we are very cautious in choosing our sites and the communities we would like to be a part of.” Kunnappally added that larger restaurants of between 3,000 and 5,000 sq ft are “slowly becoming a thing of the past” and said that smaller restaurants of between 1,800 and 2,000 sq. ft will be more commercially viable going forward. “We are also interested in exploring the events and catering segment via a modified container kitchen or possibly a trailer,” he said. Additionally, Kunnappally said that Nando’s hopes to raise the percentage of women in its regional workforce from 19 percent today to 40 percent by 2020, and grow the percentage of its revenue from deliveries from 20 percent to 30 percent in the next six months “by increasing our fleet strength in Sharjah, Al Ain and the Northern Emirates, where we believe there is still untapped potential.”