The first site under the new take away format, nicknamed ‘Nandos nino’, opened this week in Twickenham.
The 43-cover site provides a faster take away option, facilitated by a streamlined menu and faster service.
A selection of menu items are being made exclusive to the Nino format, including craft beers; new juices and smoothies; and a selection of burgers and pittas, including the return of the ‘churrasco’ burger, which was removed from Nando’s menus last year.
The brand began trialling its delivery service in London last March, and it has now been rolled out to regions across the UK.
If Nando’s Nino is successful in Twickenham, the company will look to roll out the new smaller format to areas where its 400–strong estate currently doesn’t reach but where demand for eat in and delivery is still strong, according to BigHospitality’s sister publication MCA.
It is thought it will also allow the company to better manage delivery volumes across its three south west London sites in Twickenham, Richmond and Teddington.
The move follows Five Guys, which is opening two sites under a smaller format in west London, and Tortilla, which is starting to open sites around half the size of its regular burrito restaurants.
Earlier this month, Restaurant magazine predicted that more casual dining groups would move into smaller, express formats in its 2018 predictions. Nando’s was cited as one of the brands most likely to take this step, alongside Wagamama and Pho.
Last year, Nando’s launched its first fully sustainable restaurant, called Next Generation Nando’s, in Cambridge. Featuring 97 solar panels and powered by 100% renewable energy and gas, the restaurant aims to demonstrate what brands can do to reduce their carbon footprints.