Cult Sydney chook chain El Jannah takes on Australia, and breakfast

Sydney-born charcoal chicken chain El Jannah is spreading its wings, with plans to take on KFC and Maccas, opening a new store in Australia every fortnight while also serving up breakfast.

What started with one store in Western Sydney is turning into an Australian-wide takeover for cult charcoal chicken shop El Jannah.

Over 25 years since husband and wife Andre and Carole Estephan launched their first shop in Granville, the Lebanese-Australian charcoal chicken brand is taking on the big guns fast food franchises like McDonalds and has started serving breakfast.

The breakfast menu is part of an El Jannah expansion plan. Head of Marketing Adam Issa said that in 2025, it’s predicted that a new El Jannah store will open somewhere in Australia roughly every two weeks.

“We’ve always done things differently. Hence why we have people that love us and have been following us for such a long time,” Issa said.

True to form, their breakfast menu isn’t just a bacon and egg roll.

El Jannah’s new breakfast menu is part of an Australia-wide expansion that will see one El Jannah open roughly every two weeks. Picture: Richard Dobson

Over seven months in the making, the breakfast menu starts with a Kaki base, which is a sesame pocked grilled over charcoal.

Fillings for the Kaki include halloumi and mozzarella, knafeh which is sweet cheese drizzled with rosewater syrup inside a Kaki, seasoned Middle Eastern lamb and of course their famous charcoal chicken.

At this stage, the menu is only available at the Bankstown and Smithfield stores with a Kaki Breakfast Sandwich and coffee starting from $6.90.

There is also a range of loaded hummus’ served with Lebanese bread and meal deals with scrambled eggs with a side of brioche and jam.

Lebanese-Australian charcoal chicken brand, El Jannah, has released a brand new breakfast menu which includes the Kaki Charcoal Breakfast Sandwich. Picture: Supplied

The loaded hummus Picture: Supplied

Issa said the decision to launch a breakfast menu was because “there’s a there’s a gap in the market.”

“ Typically people enjoy breakfast that they know and love, and we thought that we could come and disrupt the industry with something new and exciting,” he said.

“Kaki is something I think that the general population, probably most of them have never tasted. So it’s something unique and different.”

El Jannah launched its first store in 1998 in Granville. They now have 22 stores in NSW as well as locations in Melbourne and ACT.

Their success, particularly in Western Sydney, has led social media fans to point out the El Jannah line.

On a map, the eastern and western suburbs of Sydney are easily divided by the type of food chains in the area. El Jannah is located in more working-class suburbs, whereas Chargrill Charlies is positioned where the elite chow down.