El Jannah
El Jannah store in Liverpool, New South Wales | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fast food restaurant |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | Andre and Carole Estephan |
| Headquarters | Sydney Olympic Park, New South Wales, Australia |
Number of locations | 50 restaurants (November 2025) |
Key people | Brett Houldin (CEO) |
| Products | Charcoal chicken Fried chicken Skewers Burgers Wraps Salads Rolls |
Number of employees | 2000 |
| Website | eljannah |
El Jannah Franchise Company Pty Ltd[1] (Arabic: الجنة; lit. 'paradise' or 'heaven') is an Australian fast food restaurant chain that specialises in Lebanese cuisine. Its main menu items are a Lebanese style charcoal chicken with a garlic sauce (toum). The chain has 50 stores across New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory, as of November 2025.[2]
History
Founded by Andre and Carole Estephan, the first El Jannah store opened in the Sydney suburb of Granville in 1998.[3][4] The chain's early coverage says its first shop "amassed a cult-like following".[5] The Estephans stepped back from the day-to-day management of the chain in 2019.[6] Brett Houldin, a former chief executive of Craveable Brands, became CEO of El Jannah in 2020.[7]
The restaurant has expanded to more than 20 outlets across the Sydney metropolitan area, as well as in the Sydney CBD and Macarthur by the late 2010s and early 2020s.[8]
The chain opened its first outlet outside of Sydney, in the Melbourne suburb of Preston in April 2022,[9] and its first store in Canberra, in the suburb of Gungahlin, opened in May 2023.[10]
In late November 2025, El Jannah was sold to American private equity firm General Atlantic. A sale price of A$800 million and "almost $1 billion" were reported. The Estephans and Houldin retained a minor stake in the company.[2][11]
Products
El Jannah's menu centres on Lebanese style charcoal chicken and its garlic sauce (toum).[12] The garlic sauce is an emulsified garlic condiment served alongside the chicken. The company describes the sauce as a family recipe and does not publish the exact formulation.[5] The charcoal chicken is typically sold whole, half or in portions and is cooked over charcoal.[13]
In December 2024, El Jannah introduced a breakfast menu at select Melbourne and Sydney outlets.[14]
References
- ^ "El Jannah Terms & Conditions". El Jannah Franchise Company Pty Ltd. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
- ^ a b Stensholt, John (28 November 2025). "US private equity firm buys charcoal chicken chain El Jannah for $800m". The Australian. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ Crellin, Zac. "Western Sydney's Charcoal-Chicken King El Jannah Opens an Express Takeaway in Newtown". Broadsheet. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ Starkey, Erina (21 July 2025). "El Jannah's new store redraws Sydney's 'Red Rooster Line'". Good Food. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ^ a b "Winner winner: inside El Jannah's mission to conquer charcoal chicken". RealCommercial. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
- ^ Thompson, Sarah; Sood, Kanika; Rapaport, Emma (1 September 2025). "El Jannah calls in bankers to find it a big private equity backer". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
- ^ Yun, Jessica (16 March 2025). "From Granville to the Australian Open: Inside El Jannah's ascent to cult chicken chain". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
- ^ Bliss, Raylene. "El Jannah set to open in Newtown". The Daily Telegraph. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
- ^ "Our Locations". El Jannah Franchise Company Pty Ltd. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
- ^ Doruk, Kerem (26 May 2023). "El Jannah has opened their first store in Gungahlin, and they're inviting everyone to their grand opening". Canberra Times. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
- ^ Thompson, Sarah; Sood, Kanika; Rapaport, Emma (27 November 2025). "Winner winner! Offshore PE comes for cult chicken chain El Jannah". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 29 November 2025.
- ^ "Whole chicken – Charcoal chicken". El Jannah Franchise Company Pty Ltd. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
- ^ "Rise and Shine: El Jannah Launches Its First Breakfast Menu in Melbourne and Sydney". Broadsheet. December 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
External links
- Official website
- Media related to El Jannah at Wikimedia Commons