CULT fried chicken shop brand Sides is expanding rapidly in the UK with the help of professional services company Knights after it was appointed by master franchisors Skyview Brands Group.
The hugely popular brand - founded and partly owned by British YouTube stars the Sidemen, which includes internet personality KSI - opened a new trio of independent restaurants in the UK in December 2023 and has plans for a further 20 this year.
The latest in a long line of launches include major shopping centres in Manchester's Arndale, Merry Hill in the West Midlands and Bluewater in Kent, adding to the brand's current sites at Boxpark's Croydon and Wembley, and Dalston London.
Its popularity has grown with the opportunity to get in front of audiences thanks to the brand's influential personalities, but also for a delicious menu of signature chicken tenders, burgers and wings alongside options including loaded waffle fries, chilli poppers, mac and cheese bites and milkshakes. Fried chicken fans with dietary requirements including halal and vegan are also catered for.
Sides' long-term goal is to operate from 200 locations nationwide over the next decade with the ambition to launch further restaurants in shopping centres and high streets.
As part of its success story, Knights' franchising specialists have advised on compliance procedures, negotiated on development rights and franchise agreements.
Fiona Boswell, partner in the franchising division at Knights, said: "The diversification that Sides brings to the eating-out concept is really interesting and I predict influencer-led brands will start to take the hospitality market by storm over the next few years, with already engaged audiences helping it to grow quicker than ever before.
"Amassing a combined following of more than 100 million fans the Sidemen are aware of their own intellectual property assets and have sourced strong partners to help them merchandise quickly as their popularity continues on a trajectory."
With ad spending in the influencer advertising market projected to reach US$1.03bn in 2023, Fiona said influencer-led quick service restaurant (QSR) concepts are helping to innovate the sector and stay relevant among the demographics that matter most to this industry.
Faisal Butt, managing director of Skyview Brands Group, said: "It has been a really exciting time for us, working with such a popular YouTube collective as The Sidemen.
"It has been great to push the Sides brand outside of London and we have many more plans in the pipeline.
"It's a new venture for us but we have a great deal of retail and property experience and we were ambitious to move into the food industry – we also have plans to expand into two other complimentary hospitality concepts this year.
"Fiona and her team have been instrumental in ensuring we are armed with the right knowledge for our rapid franchise expansion and we're looking forward to continuing our relationship throughout 2024."