Stand Together, 2 Metres Apart

Nando's Canada Responds to COVID-19

MISSISSAUGA, ON, March 25, 2020 /CNW/ - Nando's is about more than PERi-PERi and chicken. We are about the people who work with us and the communities we're a part of. With this purpose in mind, Nando's is mobilizing its resources and workforce to feed the community, nourish front line healthcare workers and support our 1,100 person Canadian workforce and their families. Guided by our values as a purpose-driven company and our support for our employees, we have always called our family.

"We want the communities we serve to know that Nando's is here for you. And we are here for our employees and our communities that we have always proudly called our family," said Desmond Edwards, VP Marketing Nando's Canada.

Nando's will stay open and continue to offer takeout and delivery in Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta for as long as possible. There will be exceptions for any jurisdiction that orders restaurants to close altogether.

Staying Open... With Safety
Nando's is committed to staying open safely, and that means strictly enforcing social distancing for employees and customers. The company will allow a maximum of 10 employees and customers per restaurant at any given time, and will constantly enforce elevated hygiene. All Nando's employees must continue to frequently wash hands; clean all surfaces, and stay home when feeling ill. Nando's will continue to do health checks at the beginning and end of each shift, and leave to-go orders at the front of its stores.

Largest Community Service Program in Nando's NA History
Nando's North America is simultaneously announcing the largest community-service program in its history supported by its Canadian and US workforce.

Starting Thursday, March 26, Nando's pledges to:

• Bring hot catered meals to hospitals near every Nando's in North America, to provide comfort and sustenance to the nurses, doctors and hospitals workers struggling to keep us all safe and well. On the house.
• Provide free Nando's takeout to any nurse, doctor or healthcare worker who shows up at a Nando's in uniform or with a valid healthcare ID, or calls to place a to-go order and presents ID at collection.
• Create a new employee volunteer force. Our employees will be paid to deploy their services to help others in the immediate communities in which we operate.
• Allocate 50 free meals per day per restaurant for laid-off members of the restaurant industry. They can walk in and take away Nando's with pride.
• Donate all surplus food, packaged and non-expired, to local area food banks.
• Provide free family meals for our employees' families in need.
• Pay it forward. Any customer or employee can pay the gift of a family meal forward to the neediest members of their community. Customers will be encouraged to buy a meal for a laid-off industry worker or medical personnel.

"At Nando's, we will Stand Together 2 Metres Apart. We don't just serve chicken. We serve the community. We're all in this together," Edwards said.

About Nando's Canada
Nando's was hatched in South Africa in 1987 when Fernando Duarte invited his friend Robbie Brozin to a humble Portuguese eatery in the heart of Rosettenville, South Africa to try some mouth-watering PERi-PERi marinated and basted chicken. It wasn't just the best chicken Robbie had ever tasted; it was love at first bite! The rest, as they say, is history.

Today, you can find Nando's restaurants and PERi-PERi in Canada, America, Australia, the UK and 19 other countries as diverse as Fiji and Bangladesh, with over 1200 locations, including many in Toronto. http://www.nandos.ca/

SOURCE Nando's Canada