Nando's Peri-Peri Has Grand Opening in Woodley Park Sunday

WASHINGTON, DC — Popular chicken chain Nando's Peri-Peri is celebrating its grand opening in the Woodley Park neighborhood in Northwest on Sunday, totally transforming a vacant bank at 2631 Connecticut Avenue NW into something completely different.

Nando's is a South African-Portuguese restaurant that is "known worldwide for its spicy flame-grilled chicken," according to the company. The restaurant pledged to donate 100 percent of its proceeds today to the Oyster-Adams Bilingual School nearby, and the funds will be used to provide music and art education programs, as well as professional development for teachers.

In addition to its food, Nando's is known for showcasing South African contemporary art in its restaurants. The Woodley Park location is painted with geometric shapes that call to mind indigenous African adobe architecture. It also has stick sculptures suspended from the ceiling.

The grand opening will happen at 11 a.m., and the fundraiser runs until 9 p.m.

Nando's first opened in 1987 in Johannesburg, South Africa, and currently can be found in 23 countries on five continents. It debuted in the United States in 2008 with a restaurant in Chinatown in D.C.

Image via Nando's Peri-Peri