Nando’s to reopen for eat-in diners after three month Covid-19 hiatus

Here's what your piri-piri dining experience will look like with social distancing in place

Updated on 06 July 2020 • Written By Caroline Hendry

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Popular piri piri chicken chain Nando’s has announced that it will open the doors of its UK restaurants to eat-in diners this week, having only offered takeaway (or being shut entirely) for more than three months.

10 Nando’s locations across the UK will accept eat-in diners from 8 July, with more branches to be added to the list later in the month. Locations that you will be able to dine-in at include Westfield London, The Bullring shopping centre in Birmingham and the Trafford Centre in Manchester.

While lovers of the chicken chain are sure to be excited, they will be required to follow new social distancing rules when inside the restaurant to keep everybody safe. Covid secure procedures that Nando’s will be adopting include cashless payments, tables kept at a distance and staff bringing everything (including your napkins and sauces) to you, differing to the usual Nando’s experience in which you collect your own drink, cutlery and condiments.

In an email to customers sent on 3 July, Nando’s announced: “We're firing up the grills and opening our doors for Eat-in at a small number of Nando's restaurants (talk about exciting!). There will be 10 Nando's restaurants open for Eat-in next week (week commencing July 6), but don't worry, we'll be adding plenty more to the list in late July so stay tuned.”

The long-awaited reopening of UK restaurants and bars took place on Saturday 4 July, and was dubbed ‘super Saturday’ by the government and some media outlets. Critics of the reopening instead labeled the day ‘super spreader Saturday’ amid fears that if customers do not adhere to social distancing rules, it could lead to an increase in the Covid-19 rate of infection.

For the full list of Nando's restaurants currently open for eat-in customers, see below: