El Jannah
El Jannah Franchise Company Pty Ltd is an Australian fast food restaurant chain that specialises in Lebanese cuisine. Its main menu items are a Lebanese style charcoal chicken with a garlic sauce. The chain has 50 stores across New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory, as of November 2025.
History
Founded by Andre and Carole Estephan, the first El Jannah store opened in the Sydney suburb of Granville in 1998. The chain's early coverage says its first shop "amassed a cult-like following". The Estephans stepped back from the day-to-day management of the chain in 2019. Brett Houldin, a former chief executive of Craveable Brands, became CEO of El Jannah in 2020.The restaurant has expanded to more than 20 outlets across the Sydney metropolitan area, as well as in the Sydney CBD and Macarthur by the late 2010s and early 2020s.
The chain opened its first outlet outside of Sydney, in the Melbourne suburb of Preston in April 2022, and its first store in Canberra, in the suburb of Gungahlin, opened in May 2023.
In late November 2025, El Jannah was sold to American private equity firm General Atlantic. A sale price of A$800 million and "almost $1 billion" were reported. The Estephans and Houldin retained a minor stake in the company.
Products
El Jannah's menu centres on Lebanese style charcoal chicken and its garlic sauce. The garlic sauce is an emulsified garlic condiment served alongside the chicken. The company describes the sauce as a family recipe and does not publish the exact formulation. The charcoal chicken is typically sold whole, half or in portions and is cooked over charcoal.In December 2024, El Jannah introduced a breakfast menu at select Melbourne and Sydney outlets.