Popular US brand, Slim Chickens, has chosen Cardiff for its second restaurant opening in the UK, following a successful launch of its flagship London restaurant.
Boparan Restaurant Group (BRG), who partnered with Slim Chickens USA earlier this year, has signed a lease for a restaurant in St David’s shopping centre, Cardiff. Scheduled to open before Christmas, the 2,400 sq ft Slim Chickens will offer seating for 92 diners and will create 40 new jobs in the area.
With over 80 outlets in the US, Slim Chickens UK opened its first restaurant off Oxford Street just six months ago and it has been trading ahead of expectations. BRG now has its sights on Cardiff, before rolling out the fast-casual restaurant concept to other cities across the UK and Ireland.
Signature menu items include fresh, buttermilk marinated, hand-breaded chicken tenders, chicken sandwiches, chicken wings and a range of Southern US sides such as Texas toast, fried pickles and mac & cheese, as well as a choice of 13 house dipping sauces. Those with a sweet tooth will be able to enjoy the new milkshake range as well as fruit pies and jar desserts
The brand’s focus is on delivering authentic Southern US hospitality, along with fresh, high quality, great value chicken. The Cardiff restaurant will take speed of service and ease of customer journey to the next level with ordering kiosks and a refillable drinks station. The site will also offer delivery and a click and collect service.
On the decision to open its first regional restaurant, Tom Crowley, CEO of BRG said, “We are delighted to be introducing Slim Chickens to St David’s. Cardiff is a lively city with a fantastic student population and booming food scene. It was the obvious choice for us to open our first regional restaurant outside of London.
There is something totally unique about Slims with its freshly cooked chicken, house sauces, modern blues music and Southern US hospitality. We always knew this brand was a good fit for the UK and Ireland and we are pleased with the speed at which Slim’s has already established itself. We’re looking forward to opening in Wales and extending the Slims base into more sites next year.”
Boparan Restaurant Group, which employs 2,500 people is one of the UK’s fastest growing companies. The brand’s portfolio includes various restaurant concepts including Harry Ramsden, Giraffe Restaurants, Burgers & Cocktails, FishWorks and Ed’s Easy Diner.