Social media users are shocked as they first discover where Nandos originally came from (Image: Getty)
There are around 906 restaurants worldwide with roughly 392 in the UK.
The chicken restaurant chain has become a global success with big names in the entertainment industry singing the restaurant’s praises including , David Beckham, Beyonce, , and Bella Hadid.
Drake posted on his feed when he won International Male Solo Artist at the 2017 Brit Awards writing: “Winner winner Nando’s chicken dinner”.
Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul also pledged his allegiance to the chain when asked in an interview with about his favourite food in London, Paul said: “I discovered Nandos! My god, it was so good. It’s SO GOOD.”
With such hype from such celebrities it’s no wonder why Nando’s has almost no advertising presence at all but most are unaware about where this peri-peri chicken chain originally started at.
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The peri peri chicken brand has seen a host of celebrity lovers praising the brand for its taste (Image: Getty)
Nando’s has cemented itself right into the fabric of UK society with an array of restaurants popping up on high streets across the country.
Many are quick to think the restaurant chain began in due to its Portuguese-inspired logo and menu but its origins began far south, all the way in Johannesburg, .
Starting out as a small chicken joint in South Africa which grew into a worldwide obsession that competes with the likes of KFC and McDonalds, the story began in 1987.
Two friends named Fernando Duarte and Robert Brozin visited a small shop known as Chicken Land in which served up the quintessential spicy chicken flavours.
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People have been in shock after discovering the bran in fact began in Johannesburg, South Africa (Image: Getty)
So blown away by what they ate, the pair immediately decided to buy the place and renamed it to Nandos after Fernando Duarte’s son.
Within a few months, Nandos exploded in Johannesburg with a host of restaurants popping up seemingly in every corner, later expanding into over 20 countries.
Nando’s first opened in the UK in 1992 in Ealing, west London and was originally only a takeaway, but later expanded to include dine-in options.
In 1995, the chain opened a restaurant in Camden and later expanded even more, opening restaurants in Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and Milton Keynes.
The news that Nandos is in fact a South African brand caused quite the tizzy on social media after one user on x asked: “So Nando’s started in South Africa? Did you know that?
“Thought it started in Portugal,” wrote one with another adding: “Looked it up, Nando’s started in South Africa, you learn something new every day.”
Another social media user added: “I’ve lost count how many people I’ve told that Nando’s started in South Africa and they haven’t believed me.”
With another further explaining: “Nando’s is Mozambique/Portuguese-inspired but started in South Africa, it’s peri-peri chicken served in a variety of ways and it’s very nice if you don’t want to cook. It’s also healthier than a lot of other fast food restaurants.”