Sidemen chicken restaurant SIDES opens first outlet in Scotland
SIDES, the UK’s fastest-growing hot chicken brand, has opened its first-ever Scottish restaurant at Glasgow’s St. Enoch, bringing its signature hot chicken and famous flavours menu to the heart of the city.
Located inside the St Enoch Centre in Glasgow city centre, the opening marks a major milestone in the brand’s UK expansion, delivering its Nashville-inspired tenders, burgers and loaded sides to its Scottish fans for the first time.
As part of the launch, SIDES has a UK-first “On-Set Live Beam” activation. Members of the Sidemen will appear live via an interactive hologram unit, “teleported” directly from the set into the restaurant.
The live broadcast will allow people to observe and interact with the collective in real-time, as alongside it there will be many more games, mini-activations and surprises for all fans at the opening.
The Sidemen are a group of YouTube personalities known for their weekly challenges, sketches, and travel vlogs. SIDES is their move into the food and hospitality scene as they wish to "own the hot chicken category.”
On the opening day (9 June), the band December 10 joined the festivities and cut the official ribbon, as well as meeting and serving fans and customers.
In addition, in the 48 hours leading up to launch, SIDES has launched an exciting “Keys to the Kitchen” scavenger hunt, where seven physical golden keys were hidden across iconic Glasgow landmarks, prompting fans to race across the city.
Participants who successfully have located a key and returned it to the store ahead of the 3:15 PM opening-day deadline will be rewarded with an exclusive £200 pre-loaded SIDES Elite Card, driving strong local engagement and cultural buzz ahead of doors opening.
The Sidemen said: “We’re gassed to finally land in Scotland, it’s been a long time coming and you’ve been asking for this for ages. So we’re buzzing that everyone can finally get in and try the food for themselves.
“Glasgow is the perfect place to kick things off in Scotland, and we can’t wait to see you all… literally. If you’re in store on opening day, you might even catch us beaming in live through the hologram, which is mad.”
Conrad Bacon, head of retail at Praxis said: “We’re delighted to welcome SIDES to St. Enoch. As one of the UK's fastest-growing food brands, it brings something fresh and exciting to our food and beverage line-up, and we’re confident it will be a popular addition for visitors from across Glasgow and beyond.
“The arrival of SIDES reflects our ongoing commitment to enhancing the customer experience and bringing sought-after brands to the centre. We look forward to seeing the new restaurant become a real destination for our visitors.”
The Glasgow opening represents the first move in SIDES’ wider Scottish rollout, with additional locations planned for Livingston and Edinburgh, alongside continued UK expansion into cities including Cardiff and Liverpool.
The brand continues its rapid growth trajectory, with ambitions to open 15 new restaurants globally in 2026.
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