Sides, the QSR venture by YouTube collective the Sidemen, has set out plans to expand its restaurant offering this year with 15 more sites.
The chicken chain was founded in 2021 in partnership with food franchise firm Hero Brands, and now has five UK restaurants in Essex, London, Kent, Manchester and Birmingham. Target locations for new UK sites include Cardiff, Liverpool and across Scotland.
“This is all about doubling down on growth for Sides during 2026,” said Sides MD Aaron Moore-Saxton. “We’re seeing incredible momentum in the UK and rising demand internationally, and that gives us real confidence in the next phase of our journey as we open new sites in Glasgow, Wales and Liverpool.”
Last year, Sides also expanded internationally for the first time, with the launch of a restaurant in Singapore in June. It has now unveiled plans to grow further in Asia and the Middle East with openings in Singapore, as well as India, Malaysia and the UAE.
Moore-Saxton said this international expansion is a “further evolution for the brand”. However, he added that continued investment in the UK “remains central” to the brand’s strategy.
In a joint statement, the Sidemen added: “We are seriously hyped to take this next step and bring even more people into our Sides journey.
“For us, it’s always been about bold flavours and great food, good energy and sharing moments that go way beyond and this is honestly just the start. We can’t wait to take you all along for what’s next.”
In October, Sides underwent a “major revamp” across its menu and bolstered its senior team.
The chicken chain rolled out 11 ways that customers could personalise the heat and flavour of their order, with new flavours such as Mango Peri Peri, Firecracker and Roast Chicken Dinner.
Alongside this, Sides hired Fiona Richards, who previously held senior brand and marketing roles at Lidl and BP, as marketing director.
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