Sydney chicken shop’s rapid expansion through Australia

A chicken shop that reached cult status in Sydney’s west was a surprising addition as a pop-up at the Australian Open. Here’s what it says about our nation.

As tens of thousands milled about Melbourne Park last week at the Australian Open, one pop-up eatery’s monster queues stood out from the rest.

Next to a shopfront for Fish Bowl, the Sydney-based poke bowl chain, a swelling crowd waited patiently for a taste of El Jannah.

Up until a few years ago, the humble chicken shop could only be found in Sydney’s working class suburbs.

Its partnership with the AO was another sign of how the Lebanese charcoal chicken icon – born in Granville 27 years ago – has exploded into new markets in recent years.

Punters line up for charcoal chicken at El Jannah's Australian Open store. Picture: Heath Parkes-Hupton

El Jannah, first opened in 1998, has grown to more than 30 stores after successfully finding a gap in Australia’s chicken market, according to industry experts who commented on its rise.

Its offerings of charcoal chicken served with its famous garlic sauce and pita bread give it a different flavour to other players on the fast food market, says hospitality guru Michael Vale.

Mr Vale, who is based in Sydney, has watched El Jannah’s expansion and remarked on the “very strong history of growth” for Australian chicken businesses.

Chicken takeaway chain El Jannah is hatching plans for fast food domination, with ambitious plans to take on McDonald's and KFC to rule the roost.

“I would say chicken is an untapped market in Australia,” he said.

“And El Jannah, in my opinion, just gave it an alternative to the regular barbecue chicken and the deep fried chicken.

“It has a sense of healthiness about it. It’s openly char grilled, not deep fried.

“I can’t see too much of a secret going on, it’s very good.”

El Jannah opened its second store back in 2009, 11 years after its flagship Granville outlet started serving customers.

Just six years ago there were still only seven El Jannah stores in the country, mostly located in western Sydney suburbs like Penrith, Blacktown and Campbelltown.

El Jannah’s locations in Sydney. Picture: Supplied/El Jannah

Fast forward to 2025 and there are more than 20 in NSW, with 12 franchises springing up in suburban Melbourne and one in Canberra.

Brett Houldin, El Jannah’s chief executive, said the company hoped to reach 50 stores by June this year, setting the stage for a longer-term goal of 100 stores within two years.

Its Melbourne growth “has been nothing short of explosive”, with 11 stores opened in just over a year, he said.

“This rapid expansion, including plans for a CBD presence, demonstrates our commitment to making El Jannah accessible to a wider audience.” Mr Houldin said in a statement to news.com.au.

In Sydney, it has already crossed the viral “Red Rooster Line”, which divides the city in two based on fast food options and has been used as a commentary on the different socio-economic statuses of the suburbs.

Professor Gary Mortimer from the Queensland University of Technology’s advertising, marketing and PR school said companies like Guzman Y Gomez and Roll’d have shown the growth potential of niche offerings.

“I think this is a good example of a business that most likely found a gap in the marketplace or they’ve been able to very clearly differentiate their offer,” he said.

“So it’s not particularly a new or innovative marketing strategy. It’s simply a simple strategy of looking at where growth is … and then how do I differentiate that from a major competitor?”

El Jannah has quickly gained a foothold in Melbourne. Picture: Supplied/El Jannah

The dozen Melbourne stores have all opened since 2022, in outer areas like Preston, Broadmeadows, Mitcham and Dandenong.

The most recent opened in Braybrook, 9km west of the CBD, in December. A new store is coming to Ballarat in coming weeks, and more Melbourne venues has been touted.

Mr Houldin said, ultimately, the company wanted to become a “household name across Australia”.

“McDonald’s has 250 restaurants in Victoria, which we would love in the next three to four years,” he also told the Herald Sun last month.

“We’re still growing aggressively and about to go into the city, which should open by April or May.”

El Jannah’s founders Andre and Carole Estephan in 2008.

Their business has exploded in the years since.

According to its website, El Jannah franchisees can pay between $1.5m and $1.8m to become a partner depending on the format and size of the store.

Such has been the company’s growth that, according to a January report in the Australian Financial Review, private equity firms have been sounded out for a potential sale.

El Jannah’s founders Andre and Carole Estephan last year listed their palatial mansion in the exclusive Sydney suburb of Dural for $15m.

The Estephans listed their Dural mansion for sale last year. Picture: Supplied

Mr Mortimer said there was a crowded marketplace for “mid-tier” sized burger shops, pointing to the difficulty faced by US chain Carl’s Jr in its foray into Australia.

He said El Jannah’s stated plans for growth was “certainly ambitious” but it could be done if it can set up in the right places.

“The challenge for any franchisee, any sort of any franchisor is finding a viable locations,” he said.

“And hence that’s probably why you’ve seen Carl’s Burger in places like Dubbo and not in the eastern suburbs of Sydney because the leasing costs are so astronomical in some areas.

“So, you know, it’s certainly not unreasonable to think that this particular organisation can’t go to 300 stores.”

Mr Houldin recently said he was “very confident” El Jannah would be sticking around long-term, saying its stores were selling “100,000 chickens per week”.

“While I have been at El Jannah for five years, this brand has had a cult-like following for 26 years and the founders have been honing their craft for a quarter of a century,” he said.

Originally published as Sydney chicken shop’s rapid expansion through Australia