Drivers on the Princes Highway may be tempted to avoid the Albion Park Bypass, with the smell of charcoal grilled chicken wafting from a proposed El Jannah restaurant in Albion Park Rail.
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If approved, the proposal would be the first in the Illawarra for the Lebanese chicken chain, which has acquired cult status in Sydney in the years since the first store opened in Granville in 1998.
The Albion Park Rail location would also be the first 24-hour premises for the brand, if the opening hours are approved.
A development application lodged with Shellharbour City Council seeks to turn 104 Princes Highway, Albion Park Rail into a takeaway food and drink outlet.
The general industrial zoned lot was sold in February 2022 for $2,350,000, according to website Allhomes.
The site currently contains two separate dwellings and a garage which will be demolished under the proposal. Twelve trees will also be cut down.
Instead, a 311 square metre drive-through El Jannah store will be built, with two lanes for drive-through orders and 37 off-street car parks.
Vehicles will enter and exit from Airport Road and Hargraves Avenue and diners can be seated inside or outside, with 72 seats in total.
Motorists driving past will be able to spot the venue thanks to a six metre high pylon with the chain's signature green signage.
Since starting out in Granville and drawing in diners from across Sydney for their marinated charcoal chicken and garlic sauce, El Jannah now has over a dozen restaurants in Sydney and opened its first Melbourne location in 2022.
The family business appointed Brett Houldin, who previously ran Craveable Brands - the parent company of Red Rooster and Oporto - as CEO in 2020 and has been expanding since, with plans to open up 10 restaurants in 2022.
Outside of Sydney, Newcastle and Canberra are also target locations.
Mr Houldin told industry media that the brand aims to run 50 restaurants in the next three to five years.
The Albion Park Rail development application is on public exhibition until August 17.
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