September 2006

Nando’s New Zealand spreads its wings!

Nando’s is set to spread its wings in New Zealand following the sale of its national franchise. Known for its delicious and healthy flame grilled chicken, and spicy peri-peri sauce, Nando’s is the fastest growing flame grilled chicken franchise in the world and has achieved widespread global success with more than 700 stores worldwide on five continents.

The new owner of the New Zealand franchise Shailen Ramjee, plans to mirror the success of Nando’s worldwide by rapidly growing the number of franchise outlets in New Zealand from 15 to 25 restaurants within a year.

Already having spent four years working in the Nando’s business as New Zealand franchisee and country manager for the past 18 months, and with an MBA from Edinburgh University, Ramjee’s knowledge of business practices and passion for the Nando’s brand should be a recipe for success.

"This is an exciting opportunity to partner with a strong global business and internationally renowned brand. After managing Nando’s - Botany and working in the business at ground level I have a genuine love of the Nando’s business and I see huge potential for expansion in New Zealand,” says Ramjee.

Ramjee’s plans to accelerate the reach of the Nando’s restaurant network have already begun. Three new restaurants are set to open this month with two more soon to follow. Onehunga, Rotorua and Kapiti Nando’s are all opening to the public in the month of September, with Queensgate - Lower Hutt opening in November and Silvia Park following in March 2007.

“The initial fast growth of restaurant openings can be put down to the existing core of loyal and committed franchisees. This network has been vital to finding new franchisees with the right skills for the job. In some cases existing franchisees have bought into more than one restaurant. I see this as testimony to the success of Nando’s New Zealand,” he says.

Ramjee believes that the low fat menu options available at Nando’s meet growing consumer demands for healthy fast food and restaurant meals without compromising on taste.

“All Nando’s chicken is trimmed of fat and flame grilled for an ultra healthy meal option. On top of which the chicken is infused with the Nando’s special flavours and marinated for over 24 hours to give a superior chicken taste sensation,” says Ramjee.

The nutritional facts on the Nando’s menu speak for themselves. A Nando’s Chicken and salad pita without mayo contains only 4.5 grams of fat per serve and a skinless ¼ chicken contains only 7.1 grams of fat per serve. For the super health conscious the Nando’s chicken salad without sauces contains only 2.2 grams of fat per serving. Unique new menu options are also being launched by Ramjee to reflect the preferences of the New Zealand consumer.

To reinforce Nando’s healthy stance they have just been confirmed as backstage food providers at New Zealand Fashion Week. All catwalk models and fashion designers working backstage will have access to healthy Nando’s meal options.

ENDS

Gordon Campbell: On John Key’s Agenda For The Nation

There seemed to be three main components to John Key’s speech:

a) tax cuts largely paid for by a hike in GST
b) mining in national parks and on conservation land, while building more roads.
c) giving firms easier access to the r&d from Crown Research Institutes, so that business can continue to get the taxpayer to pick up the tab for the research that keeps them competitive.

After all, corporate welfare is always such a blessed thing – its only social welfare that corrodes enterprise and ambition. More>>