Nando's Restaurant Set to Debut

Nando's, the international restaurant company, is expected to open its doors and kitchen to the Silver Spring community at a new Ellsworth Drive location on Monday.

Patch.com got a sneak preview from Walter Pancewicz. He's the designer for Nando's in the United States. From the trim on the doors to the designs on the walls, Pancewicz and his team are responsible for putting it together.  

Patch: This restaurant is the fourth Nando's in the metropolitan area. What attracted you to build one in downtown Silver Spring ?

Walter Pancewicz: The diversity of this area is very interesting. There are many people that live in Silver Spring who are from all parts of world. Nando's started in South Africa and is now in about 30 countries. We want to offer culturally good food for reasonable prices.

Patch: What's on the menu?

W.P: The food on our menu is Afro-Portuguese. The peri-peri is an African pepper and is a continuation through many of the dishes in our restaurants. The entrees range from mild to spicy. 

Patch: While walking around I noticed different artwork on the walls of the restaurant. Who are the artists?

W.P: There isn't just a few artists but hundreds of them who are from South Africa. They work to create artwork on display in all the restaurants around the world. You may also notice the stories that are written on the walls. The writing above the kitchen tells the story of the peri-peri pepper, and there is also writing laying out the story of Nando's.