Latest news with #FernandoDuarte
Daily Express
04-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Grilling his way from Tawau to Botswana
Published on: Friday, July 04, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jul 04, 2025 Text Size: From a small town in Tawau to the international stage in Botswana, one young man's journey shows how far chicken and purpose can take you. His name is Arafad and his journey started at a restaurant called Nando's - known around the world for its flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken, but to the people who work there, it's something much more. Advertisement You may not have thought much about who's behind your food. Most of us don't. Especially in East Malaysia, where we're spoiled for choice and flavour. From kampungs to cities across Sabah and Sarawak, every community has its own way of preparing food that's rich in tradition, shaped by culture, and full of heart. Each dish reflects the people who made it. It's the same at Nando's where there's a saying: 'It's the people that make the chicken.' Just like how every community adds its own flavour to the table, at Nando's, food is made with that same pride, passion and serious love for the grill. And when they say serious, they mean Gold Standard serious. In fact, the brand takes it so seriously, there's an entire International Grillers' Challenge dedicated to celebrating these unsung kitchen heroes and the skill it takes to make Gold Standard flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken. In Malaysia, grillers battle it out at Regional and National levels, with the top scorers heading into the global spotlight. Not Just Food – A Platform for People. Nando's believes when care is put into its people, that's when food can go from good to great. Many of its team members—known as Nandocas—start as crew members and rise through the ranks thanks to hands-on training, mentorship, and internal promotions. And this is how one homegrown Nandocas, Arafad, a young man from Kampung Kurnia Jaya, Tawau went from prepping ingredients to Mentor Griller in just three years. His secret? Purpose. 'I want to be someone my child can look up to one day,' he shares. That fire, both at home and at work, has taken him all the way to Botswana, where he represented Malaysia in the 2024 International Grillers Challenge and competed against 29 other grillers from around the globe. For someone who started in Tawau, it was a proud and unforgettable experience—especially when he got to meet the very founders of the brand, Fernando Duarte and Robbie Brozin. 'When I see customers enjoying the chicken I grilled, I feel appreciated. That's what keeps me going.' Today, he's working his way toward Assistant Patrao (Assistant Restaurant Manager) while training the next batch of grillers as part of The People's Griller campaign, where customers rate their chickens and the griller that made it. The winner? They get a fast-track pass straight to National Grillers Challenge. Some might say, 'isn't it just chicken?' Sure. But the Gold Standard is Nando's way of making sure every chicken is flame-grilled to perfection – juicy, smoky, with just the right crackle of crispy skin and that unmistakable PERi-PERi flavour in every bite. You're not just getting a meal. You're getting an experience. You hear your order being called out, the sizzle of your chicken on the grill and the knowledge that it's being crafted by someone who genuinely cares. As Arafad puts it: 'I always imagine there's someone excited for their food. So, I grill it like I would for my own family.' From Tawau to the world – it's not just chicken when it's grilled with heart. That's a Nando's Thing.
Daily Record
24-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Nando's confirm location of first Ayrshire restaurant
Nando's have confirmed they will be taking over the former Tony Macaroni restaurant next to the Odeon cinema in Kilmarnock. Nando's have confirmed the location of their first Ayrshire outlet and a vacant restaurant could be set for a brighter future as a result. Currently abandoned, the former Tony Macaroni restaurant in Kilmarnock is set to become home to Ayrshire's first Nando's. Ayrshire's foodies and fans of the South African chain will no longer have to travel to Glasgow to for their peri-peri fix. The popular chicken restaurant chain have now confirmed that they will be opening in the empty unit. Located next to the town's Odeon cinema, the building has previously been home to both a Tony Macaroni and a Frankie and Benny's. The building has lain empty since July 2024 when Tony Macaroni unexpectedly closed the restaurant. Frankie and Benny's had pulled out of the venue in 2020 as a result of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the hospitality industry. In response to an enquiry from Ayrshire Live, Nando's said they were "excited" to be opening in Kilmarnock and that they would "share more details soon". Founded by Fernando Duarte and Robert Brozin in Rosettenville, South Africa, Nando's is a Portuguese and Mozambican inspired restaurant chain which primarily serves peri-peri chicken. Named after Fernando's son Nando, the restaurant chain currently operates more then 1,000 restaurants in 30 countries worldwide.
Scottish Sun
09-06-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Nando's set to open first restaurant in Scots town as fans cry ‘I'll be there every day'
Diners will be able to get their flame-grilled favourites without having to travel CLUCKING GREAT Nando's set to open first restaurant in Scots town as fans cry 'I'll be there every day' NANDO'S has announced the opening of its first restaurant in a Scots town. The chain revealed it is bringing its famous grilled peri-peri chicken to Kilmarnock "later this year". Advertisement 3 Nando's has revealed it is moving into Ayrshire with its first branch in Kilmarnock 3 The chain is famous for its per-peri grilled chicken 3 Fans love the range of quick and healthy options It is believed the new branch will take over an empty unit next to the town's Odeon cinema. Bosses have vowed to "share more details soon" and are "excited" to welcome diners — who previously had to travel 20 miles to the closest grill at Silverburn shopping centre in Glasgow's Pollok. One fan said: "I can't wait. "I'm going to be there literally every day." Advertisement Another added: "No more waiting for the bus for my fix. "It's about time we got Nando's in Killie." A third said: "Winner, winner chicken dinner." Nando's started in South Africa and has expanded into 30 countries with more than 1,200 sites worldwide. Advertisement Named after the son of founder Fernando Duarte, it is famous for its sauces and marinades, from mild sweet barbecue up to extra hot. Nando's looks set to take over the building left empty when Italian restaurant Tony Macaroni closed last July. Nando's fan reveals sneaky hack to get more food for less money... but everyone's distracted by the same issue The unit had previously been home to Frankie and Benny's. We recently told how Nando's fans were left gutted after the chicken chain quietly axed a dish from the menu.
Daily Record
09-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Nando's confirms first Ayrshire restaurant set to open 'later this year'
Nando's will be coming to Ayrshire later this year after the firm confirmed they would be opening a new outlet in Kilmarnock. A popular chicken restaurant chain is set to open its first outlet in Ayrshire 'later this year'. Nando's have confirmed that they are set to bring their famous flame-grilled peri-peri chicken to Kilmarnock. Previously, Ayrshire's foodies and fans of the South African chain have had to travel to Glasgow to for their peri-peri fix with the Silverburn outlet the closest to the county. Nando's have not confirmed exactly where their new Kilmarnock eatery will be but it is believed that they are interested in the former Tony Macaroni restaurant next to the Odeon cinema on Queen's Drive. The building, which was previously a Frankie and Benny's, has been empty since July 2024 when Tony Macaroni unexpectedly closed the restaurant. Frankie and Benny's had pulled out of the venue in 2020 as a result of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the hospitality industry. In response to an enquiry from Ayrshire Live, Nando's said they were "excited" to be opening in Kilmarnock and that they would "share more details soon". Founded by Fernando Duarte and Robert Brozin in Rosettenville, South Africa, Nando's is a Portuguese and Mozambican inspired restaurant chain which primarily serves peri-peri chicken. Named after Fernando's son Nando, the restaurant chain currently operates more then 1,000 restaurants in 30 countries worldwide.
