South African grilled chicken chain Nando’s Peri-Peri will be opening its newest D.C. location on June 12 in Penn Quarter, just a block from the Nando’s location that brought the chain to the U.S. market.
The Nando’s on 7th Street Northwest in Chinatown, which closed recently, was the first Nando’s restaurant in the U.S. when it opened in 2008.
The new Nando’s, at 836 F Street Northwest, is in a space previously occupied by the International Spy Museum, across from the National Portrait Gallery and about a block from Capital One Arena.
In 2019, the International Spy Museum relocated to a new, $160 million location at L’Enfant Plaza in Southwest D.C.
“The (old) space has served us well. But after 15 years, it is time for a serious upgrade,” said Nando’s CEO John Fisher.
The new, 3,100-square-foot restaurant has seating for more than 80 people.
In March, Nando’s opened a restaurant at Carlyle Crossing in Alexandria, Virginia’s Eisenhower East neighborhood.
Nando’s U.S. expansion has so far been only in the D.C. area and the Chicago, Illinois, area. It has almost 50 locations now between the two cities. Nando’s will expand to Texas soon with two Houston-area locations before expanding to Dallas and the rest of the state.
The first Nando’s opened in 1987 in Johannesburg, South Africa, and it has locations in 24 countries. Nando’s also has the largest collection of original South African contemporary art on display in the world at its restaurants, including those in the D.C. area.
