The Next Rocomamas? Spur Buys Fast-Growing Durban Franchise, Nikos Coalgrill Greek
Rocomamas lit a fire in the Joburg restaurant scene when it launched in 2013 and grew from just five Gauteng outlets to a staggering national footprint of 64 restaurants when the Spur Corporation bought the business in 2015. But now, the Spur group has set its sights on yet another exciting restaurant chain with a plan to bring some delicious new Greek flavours to the South African market. Currently taking Durban North by storm, Nikos Coalgrill Greek is known, and loved, for its unmistakable buzz, reminiscent of pavement cafés found in the Mediterranean. But there’s no longer a need to travel all the way to Durban to get a taste of this delicious Greek fare because the Spur Corporation has just announced that it will be expanding its restaurant portfolio with the acquisition of a 51% stake in the fast-growing franchise restaurant group.
The first Nikos restaurant opened in Durban North in March 2017 and, much like Rocomamas, the niche restaurant franchise quickly became a popular meet-up point for young South Africans. As it stands, the fledgling restaurant group operates six franchised restaurants in Ballito, Fourways, Sandton, Randpark Ridge, and Pretoria East. With Spur coming into the picture, the group has announced a further four outlets confirmed to open in the coming months followed by an ambitious goal of 50 restaurants nationally over the next few years.
Spur has announced that it will acquire a 51% shareholding from the founding family members, Peter, Nicolette and Nicholas Triandafillou and Pano Economou, who will retain the balance of the shareholding and continue to manage the business with the support of the Spur group’s franchising expertise.
The Nikos menu offers a generous range of good value, traditional Greek favourites including Souvlaki and Yiros, and the chain has developed a great reputation for its colourful cocktails. Think Hummus loaded with pomegranate, pine nuts and feta to start, coal-fired chicken souvlaki for mains, and deconstructed baklava with ice cream, mixed nuts, warm sticky syrup and a spicy flurry of cinnamon for dessert.