After a full year of waiting, South African fast-casual restaurant chain Nando’s PERi-PERi will open its first DFW restaurant at Village on the Parkway at 5100 Belt Line Rd, Suite 728 in Addison. Construction for the new 2,800-square-foot location was announced for the first time on Dec. 9, 2022, but no opening date was revealed.
But the wait is finally over! According to Culture Map, the new restaurant will start serving guests its signature flame-grilled spicy chicken on Dec. 11, 2023.
“We can’t wait to welcome Nando’s first-timers and the many North Texas loyalists who have rallied to bring the brand here,” said John Fisher, CEO of Nando’s PERi-PERi back in 2022. “Dallas is an important city in our future, and we’re excited about opportunities for growth in this market. We’re also looking forward to being among the many food and beverage offerings that make bustling Village on the Parkway a dining and entertainment destination.”
The company was founded in 1987 in Johannesburg, South Africa, and since then it’s grown into an international brand spanning 24 countries and 50 sites throughout the U.S.
“To get our authentic to-the-bone flavor, we marinate fresh chicken in PERi-PERi (or African Bird’s Eye Chilli) for at least 24 hours,” Fisher said of the restaurant’s staple flavor that earned it its popularity. “It’s then basted with PERi-PERi to the diner’s spice level of choice and grilled over an open flame.”
While this is the first location to open in North Texas, the chain already made its rounds in Dallas. Earlier this year, the African American Museum in Dallas showcased a curated selection of Nando’s Art Collection, one of the largest collectors of contemporary Southern African art in the world. The exhibition, called If You Look Hard Enough, You Can See Our Future, featured more than 60 pieces from 55 emerging, mid-career and established artists.
“As a proudly African brand coming to Dallas, we consider the African American Museum to be the perfect canvas for world-class expressions of the modern Southern African lived experience,” said in a statement Sepanta Bagherpour, chief brand officer of Nando’s North America.
Since the announcement of the North Texas restaurant, the chain opened its first Texas location in Houston in August and another restaurant is set to open in Austin in early 2024.
