New Spicy Chicken Restaurant Opens This Weekend

PHOTO of interior of restaurant and grilling chicken courtesy of Nando's

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FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA -- Nando’s PERi-PERi, the South African-Portuguese restaurant known for its spicy flame-grilled chicken, hatches in nearby Mosaic District on Saturday, April 16, the company said in a news release.

The company also has locations in Arlington's Pentagon Row, Old Town Alexandria, Gainesville and Ashburn in Northern Virginia.

Here's the scoop on the opening weekend:

• WHAT: Nando’s Opens in the Mosaic District
• WHERE: 2987 District Ave., Fairfax
• HOURS: Saturday April 16, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., 5-9 p.m.
• HOURS: Sunday April 17, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Nando’s, which operates restaurants in 23 nations from Australia to Zimbabwe, first moved to the United States in 2008. It set up shop in Washington, DC, and, since then, has opened 30 restaurants in the nation’s capital, Maryland, Virginia, and in and around Chicago.

During its opening weekend, April 16-17, Nando’s will donate 100 percent of all proceeds to benefit student programs at Falls Church High School.

“As newcomers to Fairfax, we wanted to be good neighbors and help raise needed funds for student programs at Falls Church High School,” said Burton Heiss, CEO of Nando’s PERi-PERi USA. “We are delighted to support the Jaguars and can’t wait to bring our fiery PERi-PERi chicken to more Virginia fans.”

Nando’s has built an intensely loyal following by providing fresh food in a relaxed atmosphere with friendly service. PERi-PERi, or African Bird’s Eye Chili, is the heart and soul of the Nando’s experience. “We marinate our chicken in PERi-PERi for at least 24 hours, so the flavor goes right through to the bone,” Heiss explained. “Then we grill it over an open flame it and baste it with PERi-PERi sauce to our customers’ preferred spice. That’s what makes our chicken so addictive.”

Every Nando’s is painstakingly designed and completely unique, with earthy textures and bright colors that reflect its sunny African-Portuguese heritage. With thousands of pieces of original works of art that are a constant reminder of where the restaurant came from, Nando’s has become the largest collector of South African contemporary art in the world. The new Nando’s in the Mosaic town center is no exception, the company noted.

The new location opening this weekend is here: