Nando's will be opening peri-peri soon.

The hotly anticipated new restaurant in Sittingbourne will welcome customers from Thursday, September 23 – more than a year after it was meant to.

It is opening in Bourne Place, opposite Sentado Lounge and next to the new The Light cinema and bowling complex, as part of the £57million Spirit of Sittingbourne regeneration project.

Speculation had been growing about whether the South African chain would ever open or if it's move had been scuppered due to the pandemic.

However, in the past month the store has kitted out its front windows with 'opening soon' posters and Nando's branding, as well as recently advertising for back of house team members who will earn £8.91 an hour.

Any successful applicants will undertake a three-week “intense immersion" at Nando’s and will need to travel to another restaurant for training.

Workers will benefit from a free meal on every shift and up to 40% discount on other days.

Nando's was set to be one of many restaurants at the complex, but instead only joins Sentado Lounge.

In February Pizza Express and dessert parlour Creams pulled out of plans to join the project, which is the biggest development in the town's history.

Both were meant to occupy units close to the new cinema.

Although only announced in February it was revealed at a Swale council meeting that the eateries' U-turns had been known about "for some time".

They weren't the only venues planned for the complex to ditch opening plans.

At the end of 2018, restaurant chain Wildwood withdrew from the town’s regeneration scheme after "experiencing trading difficulties".

You can apply for a job at the new Nando's restaurant by clicking here.

Read more: All the latest news from Sittingbourne