Nando's

Menu Evolution

A new supporting cast for Nando's world-renowned PERi PERi chicken.

#1

SELLING SIDE ITEM
SYSTEMWIDE

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Background.

Founded in 1987 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nando’s is a traditional PERi-PERi grilled chicken-centric limited-service concept dedicated to serving fresh, delicious, authentic Afro-Portuguese food (rooted in the PERi-PERi bird’s eye chili). The brand was founded on a genuine passion for fresh food and attentive hospitality, and has become known worldwide not only for its delicious grilled chicken and flavorful sauces, but also for its dedication to its people.

The challenge.

With an offering largely imported from the UK, the Nando’s menu in North America featured items that catered to the tastes of a different market (shoutout to mushy peas!). While the hero flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken resonated easily with Americans, the supporting Bowl, Salad, Side and Beverage categories didn’t translate so well. TCE partnered with Nando’s to make these categories as beloved as its chicken and sauce.

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The insight.

Today, American consumers’ familiarity with Afro-Portuguese cuisine is pretty low. To make Nando’s more approachable, TCE uncovered that it needed to be anchored in familiar barbecue sides and salads that Americans already know and love (such as mac & cheese and coleslaw), with just a touch of Nando’s unique Afro-Portuguese roots. Conversely, we built on Nando’s approachable sangria and lemonade platforms with Afro-Portuguese twists proved to drive brand ownability, and average check.

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Our results.

Nando’s has deployed 8 of newly developed items across beverages, sides, salad and bowls. The new PERi-Mac is tied for the top selling side systemwide and our new salads and bowls (PERi Ranch Crunch, Spicy Kale Caesar and Rainbow Bowls) have lifted category sales, average check and satisfaction scores.