El Jannah
El Jannah is an Australian fast-food restaurant chain known for Lebanese-style charcoal chicken and toum garlic sauce.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
El Jannah is an Australian fast-food restaurant brand specialising in Lebanese-style charcoal chicken, garlic sauce known as toum, and related Lebanese and Middle Eastern offerings. The business was founded by Andre and Carole Estephan, with its first restaurant opening in Granville, a western Sydney suburb, in 1998. The original restaurant developed a strong local following and became the foundation for a chain that expanded throughout the Sydney metropolitan area before entering other Australian state and territory markets. The brand's identity is closely associated with charcoal-cooked chicken served with a creamy, emulsified garlic sauce. Chicken is generally available whole, half, or in portions, while the garlic sauce is presented as a signature family recipe. Although the brand's menu has broadened over time, the combination of charcoal chicken, toum, bread, and simple Lebanese-influenced accompaniments remains central to its proposition. El Jannah occupies a casual, value-oriented fast-food position, combining takeaway convenience with dine-in service at many locations. Expansion accelerated beyond the original Granville base during the late 2010s and early 2020s. The chain grew to more than 20 locations across metropolitan Sydney and added restaurants in Sydney's central business district and the Macarthur region. Its first restaurant outside Sydney opened in Preston, Melbourne, in April 2022. El Jannah entered the Australian Capital Territory with a Gungahlin restaurant in May 2023. The chain had 51 stores across New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory as of March 2026. Andre and Carole Estephan stepped back from the company's day-to-day management in 2019. Brett Houldin, previously chief executive of Craveable Brands, became El Jannah's chief executive in 2020, supporting the business during a period of geographic growth and organisational development. In late November 2025, the company was sold to General Atlantic, an American private-equity firm. Contemporary reports described the transaction value as approximately A$800 million or nearly A$1 billion, although the exact consideration should be treated cautiously because the reported figures varied. The Estephans and Houldin retained minority interests after the transaction. El Jannah introduced a breakfast menu at selected Sydney and Melbourne restaurants in December 2024, representing an extension beyond its established lunch, dinner, and takeaway occasions. Despite this diversification, the brand continues to be defined primarily by its Lebanese-style charcoal chicken and garlic sauce. Its growth reflects the wider development of Australian fast-casual dining, in which distinctive immigrant and diaspora food traditions have been scaled through multi-site restaurant operations while retaining a strong connection to an original local venue.
History
El Jannah began in 1998 when Andre and Carole Estephan opened the first restaurant in Granville, in western Sydney. The restaurant centred its menu on Lebanese-style charcoal chicken and a garlic sauce known as toum. Its early success was driven by a strong local following, and the Granville restaurant became the reference point for the brand's identity and operating model. During the following decades, El Jannah expanded from its original site into a broader Sydney restaurant network. By the late 2010s and early 2020s, the chain had opened more than 20 locations across metropolitan Sydney, including sites in the Sydney central business district and the Macarthur region. The business retained a relatively focused menu proposition, with charcoal chicken and garlic sauce serving as its most recognisable products while additional Lebanese-influenced sides, meals, and takeaway formats supported a wider range of occasions. The Estephans stepped back from the company's day-to-day management in 2019. Brett Houldin, a former chief executive of Craveable Brands, became El Jannah's chief executive in 2020. His appointment coincided with a period in which the brand was developing from a highly recognised Sydney chain into a multi-state Australian restaurant business. El Jannah's first outlet outside Sydney opened in Preston, Melbourne, in April 2022. The company subsequently entered Canberra, opening its first Australian Capital Territory restaurant in Gungahlin in May 2023. In December 2024, the chain introduced a breakfast menu at selected Melbourne and Sydney locations, broadening its trading-day coverage beyond its established lunch and dinner focus. In late November 2025, General Atlantic acquired El Jannah. Public reports differed on the transaction value, citing approximately A$800 million and figures approaching A$1 billion. The Estephans and Houldin retained minority stakes following the sale. By March 2026, the chain was reported to have 51 stores across New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory. Its defining proposition remained Lebanese-style charcoal chicken cooked over charcoal and served with a signature toum garlic sauce.
- 2026
Reported 51-store network
[1]The chain is reported to have 51 stores across New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory as of March.
- 2025
General Atlantic acquisition
[1]General Atlantic acquires El Jannah, with the founders and Brett Houldin retaining minority interests.
- 2024
Breakfast menu introduced
[1]Selected Sydney and Melbourne outlets begin offering breakfast items in December.
- 2023
First Canberra restaurant opens
[1]The chain enters the Australian Capital Territory with a Gungahlin location in May.
- 2022
First Melbourne restaurant opens
[1]El Jannah opens its first outlet outside Sydney in Preston, Melbourne, in April.
- 2020
Brett Houldin becomes chief executive
[1]Brett Houldin, formerly chief executive of Craveable Brands, takes over as El Jannah's chief executive.
- 2019
Founders step back from daily management
[1]The Estephans withdraw from the company's day-to-day management as the chain continues its expansion.
- 1998
First Granville restaurant opens
[1]Andre and Carole Estephan open the first El Jannah restaurant in Granville, Sydney.
Products and positioning
A casual, accessible Australian fast-food chain built around Lebanese-style charcoal chicken, signature toum garlic sauce, generous portions, and takeaway convenience.
Main dish · 1998
Lebanese-style charcoal chicken
El Jannah's core product is chicken cooked over charcoal in a Lebanese-style preparation. It is commonly sold as a whole chicken, half chicken, or individual portions, forming the centre of the brand's meals and takeaway proposition.
Sauce and condiment · 1998
Toum garlic sauce
Toum is a creamy, emulsified garlic sauce traditionally served alongside the charcoal chicken. El Jannah presents its version as a family recipe and treats the sauce as one of the brand's most distinctive and recognisable menu components.
Breakfast · 2024
Breakfast menu
A breakfast range was introduced at selected Sydney and Melbourne outlets in December 2024. The launch extended El Jannah's trading occasions beyond its established lunch, dinner, and takeaway business.
Brand decisions
2025
Sale to General AtlanticM&ABackground
El Jannah had developed from a single Granville restaurant into a multi-state Australian chain.
Action taken
General Atlantic acquired the business in late November 2025, while the founders and Brett Houldin retained minority stakes.
Aftermath
The acquisition transferred control to an American private-equity owner and positioned the chain for its next phase of development.
Reported transaction value. Approximately A$800 million to nearly A$1 billion reported (Late November 2025)
2024
Breakfast menu launchProduct launchBackground
The chain explored additional dayparts beyond its established lunch, dinner, and takeaway occasions.
Action taken
El Jannah introduced breakfast items at selected locations in Melbourne and Sydney in December 2024.
Aftermath
The menu expansion broadened the brand's potential trading hours and customer occasions at participating restaurants.
2023
Entry into the Australian Capital TerritoryStrategyBackground
Following its move into Victoria, El Jannah continued its geographic expansion beyond New South Wales.
Action taken
The chain opened its first Canberra-area restaurant in Gungahlin in May 2023.
Aftermath
El Jannah established a presence in a third Australian state or territory market.
2022
Expansion into MelbourneStrategyBackground
After building a substantial Sydney network, El Jannah sought to establish a presence outside its original metropolitan market.
Action taken
The company opened its first non-Sydney restaurant in Preston, Melbourne, in April 2022.
Aftermath
The opening marked the beginning of the chain's expansion into Victoria.
Sources1 sources
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