The founders of fast-growing pizza takeaway brand Caprinos have launched a new hot chicken QSR brand, Zinglet, with a strategy to become the leading British premium hot chicken brand.
It will open its debut site in Birkenhead on 15 May, with further restaurants set to open in the near term.
After starting Caprinos in 2015, co-founders Khalil Rehman and Gul Nawaz have scaled the pizza business to over 120 global locations, including more than 110 in the UK.
Created as a standalone brand, Zinglet will serve a menu of breaded made-to-order hot chicken, centred on wings, tenders and burgers, all available in four distinct spice levels.
Its first franchised location in Birkenhead will be a 40-seater restaurant, with smaller format franchised sites also planned.
Over the next 12 months, Zinglet is aiming to scale to at least 15 locations in a variety of formats and location types.
“For too long, the UK’s fried chicken industry has been dominated by international brands, but with Zinglet that is about to change,” said Rehman and Nawaz.
“Leveraging our experience from creating one of the UK’s fastest-growing franchised pizza takeaways, we’re on a mission to create the leading British premium hot chicken brand, founded with ambitious plans to scale rapidly over the coming years.
“Zinglet is more than just hot chicken. Our menu of chicken wings, burgers and sides is designed to bring unique flavour experiences to busy mealtimes, making Zinglet the perfect destination for all the family.”
The launch comes amid a boom in the fried chicken market. According to IGD, group-owned chicken shop outlets are enjoying year-on-year growth of 6.4%. It forecasts further growth of 8% by 2027.
US fast food chains Wingstop, Popeyes and Dave’s Hot Chicken are all looking to take a bit out of the market, while KFC plans to invest almost £1.5bn in the UK and Ireland over the next five years, opening an additional 500 sites and upgrading 200 more.
Meanwhile, US fast-casual chicken chain Raising Cane’s, which has become a viral sensation on TikTok in recent years, will enter the UK market at the end of the year, with its first UK flagship site in London’s Piccadilly Circus.
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