Sydney charcoal chicken institution El Jannah to open restaurant at Warringah Mall on Boxing Day
It’s been a Western Sydney institution for close to 30 years — now it’s set to open its first Lebanese charcoal chicken outlet on the northern beaches. Digest all the juicy details here.
Get out the napkins and get ready to queue.
A chain of charcoal chicken — that’s developed a cult-like following across Western Sydney — is set to open its doors for the first time on the northern beaches.
El Jannah offers “Lebanese-Australian food” cooked over open wood fires, and will officially open its 30th NSW franchise at Warringah Mall, Brookvale on Boxing Day.
And to help celebrate, its owners are putting on a “one-day only, while stocks last” $5 grand opening meal deal with a quarter chicken, small chips and El Jannah’s popular garlic sauce.
The eatery is opening 10 months after this masthead reported that the chain, which opened its first store at Granville in 1998, was opening in the former Quattro Formaggi Deli Cafe premises on the northern side of the Mall, near Supercheap Auto.
At the time, El Jannah was hoping to open by June, but the wooden hoardings are still around the store and workman were busy fitting it out on Friday morning.
“We know the hoarding has been up for way too long, and we’ve made you wait — but the wait is finally over,” the El Jannah website states.
“Join us on Saturday, December 26, as we fire up the charcoal, swing open our doors, and serve an opening day deal you won’t want to miss.”
The new player is expected to add some succulent competition in the local casual dining scene with the shopping centre home to takeaway chicken shops including KFC and Oporto.
It is employing a mix of full time, part time and casual staff.
As well as charcoal and fried chicken, the menu includes crispy falafel rolls, burgers and chips as well as a “shawarma meal” with shawarma beef, tomatoes, parsley, onion, pickles and Lebanese bread.
Customers also rave about El Jannah’s tangy and creamy garlic sauce.
El Jannah Chicken was founded by Lebanese migrant Andre Estephan who opened his original shop with his sister Samira in 1997 before branching out on his own to found El Jannah with his wife Carole.
As well as the NSW restaurants, El Jannah has outlets in the ACT and Victoria.
The chain has a presence on the north shore with store at Crows Nest and Lindfield.
It also recently signed a multi-million dollar deal to expand into the Middle East.
The deal will see El Jannah quadruple the number of restaurants from 50 to 200 in the next five years, becoming a rival of fast food giants like KFC and Red Rooster.
In the next 12 months alone, the business plans to open 25 restaurants, 11 of which are in Sydney and include Cronulla, Maroubra, the Sydney CBD as well as Warringah Mall.
El Jannah’s head of marketing Adam Issa said it was “excited to continue spreading the legend of El Jannah’s charcoal chicken” with the opening at Brookvale.
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