Nando’s Spices Up Expansion Strategy in Asia with GapMaps

Nando’s is a brand that needs little introduction. Famous worldwide for its flame-grilled PERi-PERi chicken, the restaurant chain has built a loyal following through its distinctive casual dining experience and bold flavours. In Southeast Asia, specifically Malaysia and Singapore, the brand has established a robust presence.

However, sustaining growth at scale requires sharp decision-making, even for established brands. Nando’s currently operates a network of 79 sites in Malaysia and six in Singapore. The company’s ambition is clear: reach 100 outlets in Malaysia and 10 in Singapore by 2030.

To achieve this, Nando’s moved beyond traditional intuition and government datasets, partnering with GapMaps to bring data-driven precision into its site selection process and ensure every new restaurant opens with the best possible chance of success.

The Challenge: Growing Beyond the Familiar

While Nando’s has maintained a presence in all Malaysian states for more than a decade, its current growth strategy focuses on increasing restaurant density within each state while also expanding into smaller towns.

In Johor, for instance, expansion efforts are moving beyond Johor Bahru into areas such as Kulai and Batu Pahat. Similarly, in Sarawak the team is exploring opportunities beyond Kuching, targeting towns including Miri and Bintulu.

In Singapore, the challenge is different. With limited land and intense competition, identifying the right locations for the brand requires highly granular insight.

Nando’s turned to GapMaps to create a more dynamic “single source of truth”, helping streamline site studies while validating the team’s market instincts.

The Solution: A Data-First Approach to Site Selection

Nando’s initially engaged GapMaps for a specific project in Malaysia. Following the success of that initiative, Nando’s integrated GapMaps Location Intelligence into its daily workflow.

Today, GapMaps serves as the primary research tool at a macro-level for Nando’s property team, while also providing micro-level insights into market potential before the team even steps foot on a site.

Nando’s uses the platform across three critical areas:

1. Demographic and Spending Insights

GapMaps provides Nando’s with up-to-date data on consuming classes and food and beverage spending patterns. By analysing population density and affluence within a catchment area, the team can quickly determine whether a specific location aligns with its target customer profile.

2. Competitor Network Mapping

Understanding where competitors operate, and how they perform, is vital. Nando’s uses GapMaps to identify areas where customer demand is strong and competitive presence is lighter, helping uncover opportunities for new restaurants.

3. Forecasting and Benchmarking

GapMaps enables Nando’s to forecast potential sales for new locations with a high degree of accuracy, typically within a plus or minus 10-20% margin.

The Results: Faster Decisions, Lower Risk

Since integrating GapMaps into its strategy, Nando’s has seen a tangible transformation in how it plans and expands its network.

● Accelerated Planning Cycles: The most immediate impact has been speed. Implementing GapMaps has accelerated Nando’s planning cycles by as much as 40%. Instead of spending weeks gathering fragmented data, the team can now access a consolidated view of the market instantly.

This efficiency enables the team to quickly filter out unsuitable sites and focus resources on high-potential opportunities.

● Risk Reduction and Site Prioritisation: Opening a restaurant is a significant capital investment. Nando’s uses GapMaps to reduce risk and prioritise sites that offer the strongest potential return on investment.

By validating business cases with robust data, the team avoids underperforming locations that may have appeared promising initially but lacked the necessary demographic support.

Proven Success

The results speak for themselves. Since adopting this data-led approach, Nando’s has opened four new stores, with six more planned for 2026. Every one of these locations is performing strongly, validating the accuracy of the insights GapMaps provides.

Looking Ahead to 2030

With a solid foundation of location intelligence, Nando’s is well positioned to achieve its 2030 targets. The roadmap to 100 stores in Malaysia and 10 in Singapore is no longer just an ambition; it is a calculated strategy backed by data.

Whether identifying the ideal mall location in Johor or refining its presence in Singapore’s competitive retail landscape, GapMaps ensures Nando’s continues to grow intelligently, bringing its famous PERi-PERi chicken to more customers across the Southeast Asia region.