Nando's pokes fun at its 'have you been to Nando's before?' practice

Nando’s is practically a British institution at this point, despite being a South African company serving Portuguese-inspired cuisine.

Most of us already know our preferred spice level, and the true aficionados among us know that a side of Macho Peas is well worth the added expense.

Considering how familiar we are as a nation with the concept of Nando’s, and the fact its service setup is pretty standard – you go in, sit down, browse the menu, give a waiter your order, wait for it to come, eat it, pay – it's fair to assume we all know the score.

So with that in mind, it’s also fair to wonder why the waiters always ask whether you’ve eaten there before when taking your order.

A Nando's waiter serving an order (TOLGA AKMEN/Getty Images)

“Have you been to Nando’s before?” might seem like overkill, but it’s pretty innocuous.

That said, some people really don’t like it. To those it’s fair to ask: is everything okay?

Sure, it might seem like an inane question, but is it really enough to disturb your inner peace?

Keen to assuage the qualms of the easily-upset, the chicken chain has stepped in to explain why its staff always ask whether we’ve previously had the pleasure of its PERi-PERi delights.

Its website reads: “So whatever your plans, come in, say hey and hear those six familiar words... ‘Have you been to Nando's before?’ We'll do the rest.”

Nando’s has even posted its own sarcastic and self-referential take via X: “’hAvE yOu BeEn To NaNdO’s BeFoRe?’”

Other social media posts from the company have poked fun at the practice too: “Tag a mate who’s never been asked if they’ve been to Nando’s before.”

Some commenters have joined in with their own lighthearted takes.

“My typical reply is usually ‘I’ve put in more shifts than you, man’ (not really, but I’d love to say it cos it’s true),” said one.

Others have said that some staff flout the rules on occasion: “Why did the girl at Nando’s say, ‘I know you’ve been here before so I won’t tell you what to do, see you next week though’?”

For some Nando’s workers, “Have you been to Nando’s before?” barely registers among inconveniences in their day to day.

Nando's offers a range of spice levels (Steve Russell/Getty Images)

“Please state your chosen spice when ordering at Nando's," one worker, Alicia, said on TikTok.

With a face full of thunder, she added: "I'm one more 'how spicy' away from quitting my job."

Fellow Nando's workers sympathised: "When they say mild and you just wanna cry there and then!!"

It could be worse. There’s surely many a story of so-called Alphas rocking up to Nando’s, turning their nose up at the Macho Peas, ordering Extra Hot, and then having to send their highly-spicy chicken back to the kitchen whilst downing pint after pint of bottleless Sprite.

But hey, maybe that’s more funny than annoying.