Nando’s is set to open 14 new restaurants across the UK before the end of its current financial year in February 2026, accelerating its roll-out despite wider pressures on the high street. New sites will include locations such as Bedford, Derby, Peterborough, Bishop Auckland, Maidenhead, Sheffield, Edinburgh’s Gyle, Paddington and Liverpool Edge Lane, alongside other towns and cities where several branches have already begun trading.
The peri-peri giant’s expansion comes as many chains retrench or close outlets, signalling continued confidence in consumer appetite for its flame-grilled chicken format. The new restaurants will be spread across England and Scotland, with more exact openings expected to be confirmed in the coming months.
The growth drive follows a robust set of annual results, with Nando’s reporting revenue of around £1.48 billion for the year to February 2025, up roughly 8% year on year. Operating profit more than doubled to about £146.6 million, reflecting what the group describes as “robust consumer demand” for its core peri-peri offer and a return to healthier margins.
Nando’s management said trading momentum continued into the current year, pointing to sustained sales volumes across the estate. The company credits its performance to brand strength, menu innovation and a customer proposition that continues to resonate with diners looking for affordable but experience-led casual dining.
Despite the upbeat numbers, the group has warned that higher taxes and wage increases introduced in April are set to weigh on profitability in the year ahead. In its latest accounts, the company notes that cost pressures are likely to “continue to affect” performance, even as demand holds up.
To offset these headwinds, Nando’s has been rolling out cost-saving measures, including productivity improvements and the installation of energy-efficient grills across its UK and Irish restaurants to lower energy usage. Management said these initiatives had already helped mitigate some of the impact of rising costs, but acknowledged there was still more work to do.
Group chief executive Rob Papps said the most recent financial year had delivered a “strong sales performance” supported by resilient demand for Nando’s flame-grilled peri-peri chicken. He highlighted the brand’s positioning and customer appeal as key factors in achieving a return to much stronger operating profit levels.
Looking ahead, Papps said the macroeconomic outlook for the year to February 2026 “remains uncertain” but stressed that the group sees “significant growth potential in all our markets.”
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“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,” he said.
Nando’s latest wave of openings offers a rare note of optimism for UK high streets, which have been hit by closures across fashion, casual dining and mid-market retail in recent years. New branches in hubs such as Edinburgh Gyle, Paddington and Liverpool Edge Lane are likely to provide additional footfall for surrounding operators and retail schemes.
For consumers, the rollout brings the brand within reach of more regional towns as well as urban centres, reinforcing Nando’s role as a mainstream, cross-demographic choice for casual dining. With more sites already open and others in the pipeline, fans of the chain’s peri-peri chicken can expect to see its familiar cockerel logo appearing in more retail parks and shopping centres in the months ahead.
