Flaming Hot

WORDS Sarah Buitendach PHOTOS Elsa Young

The Joburg-based spiritual home of Nando’s recently underwent a spectacular, proudly South African update.

We’ve become accustomed to Nando’s restaurants displaying contemporary South African design (and art). In just over a decade, this homegrown chicken brand has become synonymous with promoting local designers, and is proof that big business can – and should – do just that.

“The brand has always celebrated South African creativity in all forms, including advertising, art, music and design,” explains Nando’s South Africa’s director of property, development and sustainability Michael Spinks. “In a growing economy like ours, we need to create demand to stimulate these sectors and generate opportunities for young creatives. A global business such as Nando’s creates demand through its operations that can be steered towards impact for others.”

The spiritual heart of the business, Nando’s Central Kitchen (or CK), in Joburg’s Lorentzville is the ultimate example. Recently updated, it showcases the best pieces and projects that the team – under the leadership of Nando’s design curator and Clout/SA creative director Tracy Lynch – has championed over the years. The refresh, like ours, we need to create demand to stimulate these sectors and generate opportunities for young creatives. A global business such as Nando’s creates demand through its operations that can be steered towards impact for others.”

The spiritual heart of the business, Nando’s Central Kitchen (or CK), in Joburg’s Lorentzville is the ultimate example. Recently updated, it showcases the best pieces and projects that the team – under the leadership of Nando’s design curator and Clout/SA creative director Tracy Lynch – has championed over the years. The refresh, implemented by Acre Studio, aimed to draw people back after Covid, and reimagine slightly tired elements. It was also a massive opportunity.

“One of the best things about doing the refurb was being able to include young designers’ pieces,” says Tracy. “When CK was originally created, our Hot Young Designers (HYD) competition didn’t exist. In fact, we evolved the project to seek out emerging black designers in particular. We want to create opportunities for the next generation.”

The competition has introduced the likes of Thabisa Mjo of Mash.T Design Studio, and Nindya Bucktowar and Nikhil Tricam of Kalki Ceramics. Now they and other HYD alumni call CK home. Hand-painted patterns by Bonolo Chepape form a backdrop to servers created by Sifiso Shange and tiled food stations by the Kalki Ceramics team. There’s Mash.T’s Tutu pendant, and Nok’khanya lights produced by Siviwe Jali and Ashanti Design. Every corner benefits from this local beauty, carefully curated by Tracy and brought to life in collaboration with Lindy Swart – co-founder and co-director of Acre Studios – and CK’s project manager Leigh van der Watt.

Clout/SA has evolved to manage and drive this design project across all Nando’s restaurants. The team works with select market-ready designers to prototype pieces and get them ready for inclusion on the Portal, Nando’s online marketplace. The group’s interior designers either order pieces from the Portal or collaborate with designers to create specific pieces to form a part of the restaurants they design.

Nando’s doesn’t lay claim to any of the designs – the designers can sell to anyone. But, as Tracy notes, “We’ve sold 50 000 local pieces to our global design network, which equates to about R100-million going back into the industry.” Business case and quarter-chickens aside, you cannot leave the spruced-up CK without feeling inspired – and envious. If only all our offices looked like this…

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