YouTuber-Led Restaurant Chain to Expand
Sides, a chicken restaurant chain led by a group of YouTubers, plans to open 15 new locations in 2026. The expansion highlights the growing business model of content-first brands in the hospitality sector. This model demonstrates the power of building a strong online community to drive growth for physical restaurant locations.
- The restaurant chain is led by the British YouTube group The Sidemen, which consists of seven members: Olajide 'JJ' Olatunji (KSI), Harry Lewis (Wroetoshaw), Simon Minter (Miniminter), Vik Barn (Vikkstar123), Josh Bradley (Zerkaa), Ethan Payne (Behzinga), and Tobi Brown (TBJZL). - Sides initially launched in 2021 as a delivery-only "ghost kitchen" concept in partnership with Reef, the world's largest operator of virtual restaurants. This model allowed for rapid scaling with lower capital investment before expanding to physical locations. - The brand is a collaboration with Virtual Hero, a subsidiary of Hero Brands, which is also behind restaurant chains like German Doner Kebab and Island Poké. This partnership provides established infrastructure and expertise in the food and beverage industry. - Sides' marketing strategy heavily relies on the Sidemen's collective online audience of over 84.5 million YouTube subscribers, which creates a built-in customer base and organic social media buzz for new openings and products. For example, the announcement of their first physical location at BOXPARK Wembley generated a three-hour queue after receiving 100,000 likes on Instagram. - The in-store experience is designed to be highly shareable on social media, featuring "Instagram-worthy" elements like LED social media tickers, sauce pumps styled like beer taps, and QR codes for mobile ordering. This encourages user-generated content and further amplifies the brand's online presence. - In addition to its restaurant expansion, Sides has a long-term vision to establish 200 locations globally within ten years and has diversified its revenue streams through a retail partnership with UK supermarket chain Iceland, offering a range of frozen products. - The 2026 expansion plans include new UK locations in Scotland, Cardiff, and Liverpool, as well as international growth in Asia and the Middle East, with openings planned for India, Malaysia, and the UAE. - The menu is centered around Nashville-style hot chicken, with options like burgers, tenders, and wings that can be customized with seven different sauces, and also includes plant-based protein alternatives.
