The founders of the iconic chicken outlets El Jannah have put their $11m Sydney mansion up for sale, but have had to take a financial hit to do so.
The founders of iconic chicken shop El Jannah are selling their Sydney mansion, with an asking price of around $11m.
Andre and Carole Estephan, who founded the beloved chicken outlet in 1988, have listed their two hectare, seven bedroom home in Dural in Sydney’s north-west.
Great food has proven to be a successful enterprise for the Estephans – El Jannah has grown from a humble takeaway outlet 30 years ago to a national chain that now boasts 50 stores across NSW, Victoria and NSW.
And the spoils of that empire are now being put up for grabs, for a price.
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![Battle of the Charcoal Chicken restaurants. South St, Granville Chicken restaurants are in a cost cutting war. El Jannah Lebanese Charcoal Chicken owners Andre and Carole Estephan.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1024 768"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
El Jannah Lebanese Charcoal Chicken owners Andre and Carole Estephan started their empire in 1988.
“This estate boasts one of the largest and most remarkable homes in Dural. Unfolding over 1600sqm of impeccably crafted and grandly proportioned elegance, it features a distinguished marble entrance foyer leading to a sequence of formal and informal areas,” the listing reads.
“From here it opens out seamlessly to exquisitely detailed alfresco terraces and a multitude of lifestyle inclusions to satisfy the most whimsical of dreams, all set on a lush 5 acres with breathtaking mountain views.”
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![](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1280 720"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Their $11m mansion is up for sale.
However, the reported asking price for the home is well down on the $15m put forward when the Estephans listed the home almost two years ago.
And according to PropTrack, the median price in Dural has risen more than 25 per cent in that time.
The couple purchased the six-bedroom home for $4.6 million in 2014.
The grounds come with pool, championship-sized tennis court, six-car garage shed and space for horse stables.
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The home sits on more than 2ha.
It was previously listed for $15m.
One of the seven bedrooms.
An aerial view of the home.
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In November last year, el Jannah was reportedly been acquired by a New York private equity firm in a blockbuster deal valued at close to $1bn, according to The Financial Review.
The acquisition by General Atlantic – best known in Australia for its investment in aged and disability care platform Mable – signalled a major push for the homegrown hero, with ambitious plans to expand its commercial property footprint across the nation and take on fast-food heavyweights like KFC and Red Rooster.
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El Jannah owners Andre and Carole Estephan outside their Newtown store.
Chief executive Brett Houldin declined to comment on specific transaction details when contacted at the time.
“I would say, however, that we’re delighted to have found a partner that is strategically aligned with the Estephan family, management and our franchisees,” he said.
“We’re looking forward to this next chapter in El Jannah’s story.”
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