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The bird is the word for hungry customers in one street in Leicester city centre.

Granby Street is home to a number of shops selling fried chicken including Nando’s, Wing Shack, Chilli Flames, Gazebo Grill, Peri-Peri Original, Benny's Chicken, and Grand Kebabs.

And with new arrivals The Peri Experts and Chickano’s, the number of businesses based around chicken has risen to nine.

Selling a range of fried chicken, burgers and wings, these fast food outlets are equally popular with customers on their lunch break as those on the way home from a night out.

But can there ever be too much choice - and how many chicken shops are too many?

(Image: Matt Short Photography)

One of the many shops selling fried chicken on Granby Street is Wing Shack.

Supervisor Ahmet Tunc, 19, told us that their eatery - which serves 'gourmet' chicken wings tossed in their signature sauces - is one of a kind.

Ahmet said: “We specify on wings. It’s just wings that we do, we’ve got different sauces and so on.

“We’re quite different from the other chicken shops.

"Here we prep the chicken, it goes straight in the fryer for 10 minutes and comes out fresh all the time."

(Image: Leicester Mercury)

However being so close to similar businesses, Ahmet says that the shop acknowledges the competition.

“Before it was okay, but now I think we’ve got more competition because The Peri Experts is there, and Nando’s is next door," he said.

"We’re getting some customers and promoting some stuff so we are doing well for now."

Across the road from Wing Shack is Granby Street's newest opening, The Peri Experts.

Manager Akeel Zickar told us that the high footfall of the street is one of the reasons the restaurant, which hails from Dubai, decided to launch there.

Akeel said: "We know there are so many chicken shops in Granby Street, but we are different.

"The only reason we opened on a street that already has very high demand is because we knew we had a product that nobody else was offering."

Akeel continued: "We wanted to bring fast food into a restaurant setting. Our prices are not the cheapest, but we believe the way we serve the food, our customer service, our decor and ambience, makes us stand out.

"In the end I feel that competition among businesses is always good for the end user, because it means the quality is higher."

So what do the potential customers of the chicken shops say?

Leicestershire Live hit the strip to see what members of the public thought about Granby Street's nine chicken restaurants.

(Image: Leicester Mercury)

Julie Geary, 57, told us she thinks nine finger-lickin' outlets is too many.

Julie said: “I don’t go to any of the shops.

“It will eventually cause obesity later in life in young people, but I suppose it’s their choice.

“[The businesses] are always in competition with each other to lower their prices.”

(Image: Leicester Mercury)

Having only been to Nando’s on the street, friends Natalie Bircham, 29, and Amy Knott, 25, argued that there is no need for the vast array of chicken shops.

The pair said: “It’s probably an unnecessary amount, there’s quite a lot."

poll loading Do you think there are too many chicken shops on Granby Street? 0+ VOTES SO FAR Yes - nine is ridiculous Maybe - I'd like to see different options No - the more chicken shops, the better Don't care - I never visit Granby Street

Alan Harrison, 44, added: “It will [affect the competition], won’t it.

"They’re all on the same sort of stretch, and are obviously going to be competing with each other.”

(Image: Leicester Mercury)

Not everybody we spoke to was negative about the large choice of chicken available, however.

Owain Gillies, a 20-year-old student, said the large number of chicken shops gives a bigger range to the customer.

“I’m a business student so I’m all for starting up your own business,” he said.

“Having a range of shops means there is more choice for customers.”

What do you think of the number of chicken shops on Granby Street?

Vote in our poll above, or let us know in the comments.