Nando's responds to rumours that it is opening a new branch in a popular part of Northampton

Nando's has responded to rumours that it could be opening a new branch in a busy part of Northampton.

Speculation has been circulating that the Peri-Peri chicken giants are considering opening a new branch at the former Chiquitos restaurant in Sixfields.

Chiquitos ceased operations in September, and the site has remained vacant ever since. However, in recent weeks, workers have been seen renovating the restaurant, sparking online rumours.

The Chiquito brand was recently acquired by The Big Table Group (BTG), which owns the Bella Italia, Las Iguanas, and Banana Tree brands—all of which have been mentioned. Some, though, believe it could be a Nando's.

Investigating, the Chronicle and Echo visited the site on Tuesday (January 30). Here's what we found:

According to a worker on-site, the location is set to open as a Nando's in approximately eight weeks. This information was then presented to Nando's, and the response received was as follows:

A Nando's spokeswoman said: "We're always looking for new opportunities to bring our world-famous PERi-PERi to fans across the UK, and we'd love to open a new restaurant in Northampton, so watch this space. For now, flavor fans can get their PERi-Peri fix at our Northampton Market Square restaurant."

If Nando's proceeds with the move, it will join Wagamama and other prominent brands that have invested in Sixfields over the past few years.