Sides to open 15 new restaurants in 2026

Sides has announced that it will open 15 new restaurants in 2026, expanding its estate to 20 locations worldwide.

The chicken shop brand, founded by British YouTube collective the Sidemen, said that the UK will remain its core focus, with plans to open restaurants across Glasgow, Edinburgh and Livingston, Liverpool and Cardiff.

The brand will also open four new overseas restaurants in India, Malaysia, Singapore and the UAE, including in Kuala Lumpur, Sentosa Island and Dubai.

Sides’ existing UK sites are Lakeside in Essex, Bluewater in Kent, Boxpark Wembley, Merry Hill in the Midlands and the Arndale in Manchester. 

The Sidemen established Sides in 2021 together with Glasgow-based food and beverage platform Hero Brands. 

It opened its first international restaurant in Singapore in June 2025. 

The brand said by expanding into new markets, it hopes to reach more of its global fanbase and remain “true to its modern culture vision that has driven its success to date”.

Aaron Moore-Saxton, managing director at Sides, said: “This is all about doubling down on growth for Sides during 2026. We’re seeing incredible momentum in the UK and rising demand internationally, and that gives us real confidence in the next phase of our journey as we open new sites in Glasgow, Wales and Liverpool. 

“Our expansion into India, Malaysia and the UAE is a further evolution for the brand, while our continued investment in the UK remains central to our strategy. As we grow, our priority is to deliver the same quality, consistency and energy everywhere we open, while moving closer to our ambition of becoming the best-tasting and largest UK hot-chicken brand worldwide.” 

The Sidemen added: “We are seriously hyped to take this next step and bring even more people into our Sides journey. For us, it’s always been about bold flavours and great food, good energy and sharing moments that go way beyond and this is honestly just the start. We can’t wait to take you all along for what’s next.”