Loco Chicken to make Stockholm debut at Heron City

German chain Loco Chicken is taking its next step in Sweden with a planned opening at Heron City in December 2026. Taco Bell is also moving into the shopping centre. Property owner Balder has signed leases with both chains, for premises of 250 and 75 square metres respectively.

From Lund to the Stockholm area

Loco Chicken’s Heron City restaurant will be its first in the Stockholm area. According to property publication Fastighetsvärlden, its first Swedish restaurant opened at Skomakaregatan 4 in Lund in September 2026, with Stadsrum as the landlord. Another Swedish location is now set to follow, this time in a Balder property.

Foodnet reported on 2 November that the Heron City opening is planned for December. This puts the chain’s Swedish launch and Stockholm debut within the same autumn and winter. The news therefore marks a geographical expansion following the Lund launch, rather than the chain’s arrival in Sweden.

The concept focuses on fried chicken. Fastighetsvärlden describes a menu of burgers, wings and chicken pieces, while Foodnet highlights customers’ choice of several seasoning blends. This combination of chicken and customisable flavours is central to how the chain presents its offering.

“With Loco Chicken, we want to offer something new in the fast-food market, with flavour and choice at its heart,” says Ebba Tandrup, Brand Manager Sweden at Loco Chicken, in the press release quoted by Foodnet.

The statement describes how the chain wants to position its concept. It does not, however, announce further Swedish locations or a nationwide expansion plan.

Taco Bell to open at the same shopping centre

Taco Bell is also due to open at Heron City before the end of the year. Foodnet describes the restaurant as the chain’s seventh in Sweden, with a floor area of approximately 75 square metres. Fastighetsvärlden gives the same figure and reports that all Swedish Taco Bell restaurants are still located in the Stockholm area.

The two openings therefore have different geographical significance. For Loco Chicken, Heron City marks entry into a new metropolitan area after its launch in Lund. For Taco Bell, it adds another restaurant in the region where its Swedish presence is already concentrated.

“We are seeing exceptionally strong demand for our Mexican-inspired food in Sweden,” says Jonathan Mostert, COO of Taco Bell Sweden, according to Foodnet.

That is the company’s own assessment of demand. The concrete news is the signed lease and the planned restaurant opening. According to Fastighetsvärlden, Taco Bell is part of Yum Brands, which also includes KFC and Pizza Hut.

Two different-sized premises with Balder

Balder has signed leases with both restaurant chains. Fastighetsvärlden reported on 4 November that Loco Chicken is leasing 250 square metres at Heron City, while Taco Bell’s premises cover 75 square metres. Loco Chicken’s leased space is therefore more than three times larger.

The difference is clear, but floor areas alone do not indicate how many seats the restaurants will have or how they will be staffed. These figures should therefore be read as an indication of the space each restaurant will occupy in the shopping centre, rather than as measures of future sales or capacity.

According to Fastighetsvärlden, Balder has owned Heron City through Serena Properties for several years. The two agreements place the chains in the same shopping centre with the same landlord, but with different-sized premises and different starting positions in the Swedish market.

Both openings are planned for the closing months of the year. Loco Chicken has specified December, while Taco Bell’s opening is described as planned for the end of the year. No exact opening dates are given in the reports.

Expansion news relevant to the franchise community

For Sweden’s franchise community, these openings provide a concrete example of how international restaurant concepts are establishing themselves in Swedish shopping centres. They represent two different stages in the chains’ development: a Stockholm debut and the continued expansion of an existing regional presence.

The reporting covers leases, premises, concepts and planned openings. It does not identify the local companies that will operate the restaurants or state whether these particular outlets will be run by franchisees. The openings should therefore not be described as confirmed new franchise agreements.

Practical takeaway: For anyone tracking new restaurant concepts, Heron City is worth watching ahead of December. When assessing a chain’s expansion, be sure to distinguish between a signed lease, a planned opening and a confirmed franchise arrangement.