US fast food franchise Burger King opened its first SA store at midday on Thursday, 9 May 2013, in the centre of Cape Town to the blare of DJs‚ music and no speeches.
Speaking to SAfm's Market Update ahead of the launch, Hassen Adams, chairman of JSE-listed Grand Parade Investments - the company bringing the American hamburger chain to the country - said it aims to have six stores running by the end of the year. Stores are due to open in Tyger Valley and Cavendish in four-to-six months, and another in GrandWest Casino within the next two-to-three months. Johannesburg could see two stores open before the end of the year.
JSE-listed Grand Parade Investments owns 85% of Burger King South Africa, and the remainder is in the hands of the US company.
We will be slower and, for the foreseeable future, every store will be company owned. Our numbers are based on opening a large number of stores," said Grand Parade Investments chairman Hassen Adams, according to Business Day. The first 12 are in and around Cape Town.
Mr Adams said Burger King in the US had also committed to helping the South African operation expand into Africa and develop a distribution network.
"This deal was not just about selling burgers. We will be training people to have a career with us. Starting from how to cook a burger to eventually becoming store managers," he said.
