A new restaurant has opened in Swindon's Designer Outlet.

A long queue formed outside the former home of Giraffe World Kitchen on Wednesday ahead of the 12 midday opening of Slim Chickens.

The first 30 customers to walk in along the red carpet received free food as part of the grand opening's celebrations.

Smiling staff welcomed newcomers, explained how the self-service kiosks worked, and directed people to the counter if they preferred to order in person.

Meals can be brought to the table, taken away, delivered, or clicked and collected.

The newly-designed site includes seats for a total of 130 people indoors and outdoors, and TV screens showing live sport.

Work on the latest addition to the Rodbourne retail destination started shortly after Giraffe closed on August 31 and hoardings have covered the site for several weeks.

The latest branch in the Slim Chickens chain which originated in Arkansas, USA has created 30 jobs in Swindon and joins other UK branches in Cheshire, York, Manchester, London, and Birmingham.

Slim Chickens serves up Southern-inspired dishes that aim to provide a  taste of America, including hand-breaded buttermilk chicken tenders, Buffalo wings, sandwiches, wraps, salads, sides, vegetarian options, and a range of 15 dipping sauces.

Operations director Richard Pigott said: “Swindon is a prime destination for us, and we are thrilled to keep growing our partnership with the McArthurGlen outlets.

"With our made-to-order, fresh culinary creations, we provide the perfect pitstop for city dwellers, and our Slim Chickens app offers an array of enticing offers, with our new app loyalty programme and weekly saver offers."

The restaurant offers a breakfast menu until 11am that has buttermilk chicken tenders with smoked cheddar cheese, a fried egg in Texas toast served in a bap or breakfast bap alongside hash browns and orange juice.

The latest addition to the menu is a Crispy Wings and Terry’s Chocolate Orange Milkshake.

Its opening hours will be 10am to 8pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am to 6pm on Sundays. 

Both Slim Chickens and Giraffe World Kitchen are owned by the Boparan Restaurant Group.

CEO Satnam Leihal added: "This is already a fantastic partnership for the business and we welcome Swindon to our growing restaurants within the McArthurGlen outlets.

"With its unmatched combination of authentic flavours, impeccable hospitality, and stunning setting, Slim Chickens is set to become the go-to culinary destination in Swindon."