El Jannah gets hot start in Lindfield as it expands on north shore

El Jannah opened a new restaurant to a big crowd in Lindfield on Saturday, where locals

queued down the street for a taste of the famous Lebanese charcoal chicken.

A stream of customers skipped up to the Pacific Highway at lunchtime where they were greeted by black and green balloons, a DJ remixing the likes of Michael Jackson and a spin-the-wheel giveaway.

At the same time, early birds headed back to their cars to tuck into their jam-packed takeaway bags.

Inside, the line snaked around the front window and into the dining area. Yet the team behind the counter rose to the occasion, deftly cutting up chicken and swiftly filling boxes. It was a relatively short wait after all.

Head of marketing at El Jannah, Adam Issa, told the North Shore Lorikeet that expansion to the leafy suburb just makes sense.

“The Lindfield store is a beautiful site on the main road. We’re trying to pick sites where the brand can speak volumes, which is why it was chosen. We love the local community,” Issa said.

“We’ve found there’s high demand from what we can see both across social [media] and customers telling us that they want more locations across Sydney.”

The other north shore location is in Crows Nest, a similarly busy area lined with dining options. 

However, Issa says assessing the competition isn’t a focus when selecting a new destination.

Are North Shore chicken shop boundaries changing?

Chicken shop franchises have long been strong indicators of different Sydney regions. What was first informally known as the “Red Rooster Line” — designating the boundaries of Western Sydney based on where Chargrill Charlies turn into Red Roosters — has since evolved into a more complex map, factoring in Frangos and El Jannah franchises as well. 

With the establishment of the latter two franchises in the North Shore recently, the boundaries of this map have shifted significantly, and will shift even more so with the opening of El Jannah Lindfield.

El Jannah’s team has also grown to understand the evolving tastes of Aussie diners. “I think the changes in consumer palettes over the years is really the reason for our expansion into areas like Lindfield and the north shore,” Issa said.

“If you wind back 25 years ago, charcoal chicken was only in western Sydney. But as palettes have changed, customers are seeking something new.”

The new El Jannah store is now open at 310-312 Pacific Highway, Lindfield.