‘We are now well-positioned to further expand our brands through Nigeria’

Africa Steak Ranches International is on track to open its fourth restaurant in Nigeria, Derrick Koekemoer, Franchise Executive of the South African steakhouse franchise restaurant chain, tells OBINNA EMELIKE their preparations, expectations and confidence in the Nigerian restaurant market.

What is the outline of the principles underlining Spur Steak Ranches’ mission and ethos?

Our mission is to be the best family restaurants in the markets in which we trade. This is driven by our values of generosity in service, fun and food. By being fired up by being engaging, enthusiastic and energetic and practicing and committing to daily excellence in our attention to details, by being consistent and by always learning and teaching.

In about 50 years, you have grown into an internationally recognized brand with many local and international restaurants. How many restaurants and brands do you have?

We are just under 600 restaurants strong. Our brands are Panarottis Pizzas pasta, John Dory Fish and Sushi, Spur, Hussar Grill, Captain Doregos, Rocomama, and Casa Bella.

All of our restaurants are individually owned and operated and draw from group expertise. Each restaurant has a unique character and the individual naming of the restaurants certainly does lend to giving it a personal touch.

We are in South Africa, Mauritius, New Zealand, Australia, Namibia, Saudi Arabia and Oman. Others are Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Swaziland, Lesotho, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Your company is passionate about presenting delicious meals to families and friends, how are you able to deal with cultural variations in the different markets where you operate?

We have learnt that we cannot simply copy and paste what works in one country and think it will work in another. Africa is full of a variety of so many different wonderful cultures and we have had to adapt accordingly. Our menu whilst similar to the South African model is very different in Nigeria, with a larger fish offering, more chicken dished and platter offerings as people like to share. We have also included traditional sides like Joloff rice. In Ethiopia we have also had to deal with the religious culture and have included a fasting menu. In the Middle East we have also adapted to ensure we are in line with the culture and expectations.

How soon are we likely going to see more restaurants or franchises established in Nigeria?

We are just about to open the 4th Spur and will also be launching our Panarottis Pizza and Pasta brand. This will be opening in the new Lekki Mall, the management have all attended training in South Africa and the shipment is about to be shipped. We are on track to open soon.

What are your future plans for the Nigerian market?

We have been trading in Nigeria for five years and have been prudent and cautious with our expansion. We believe that we are now well positioned to further expand our brands strategically through Nigeria.

How do we differentiate Spur Steak Ranches from the competition?

We are a very involved franchise company which we believe is a major point of difference. We stay deeply involved with our franchisees in their businesses and offer a great support system with ongoing training and development of people and product. We have excellent processes and fail proof operating systems in our businesses which are entrenched at store level to ensure our consistency. Our service and warm friendly environment are other areas we believe set us apart from our competitors.

Aside South Africa, where do you have your most successful franchises?

Namibia and Mauritius are very strong markets for us. Although that being said we are certainly picking up traction in countries such as Zambia and Kenya. Whilst we are also still in our infancy in Nigeria we believe that Nigeria will still stand up and be our strongest trading African market.

Do you agree with the postulation that fine cooking and tasting is an art?

As well as an art we believe it also involves a lot of passion. One must have a passion for food and for preparing it and this is a key fundamental in our business, that our people have a passion for food.

What are the key takeouts on Spur Steak Ranches International’s global franchising policy?

We will continue to look at establishing our brands within the markets in which we trade and along with it be in a position to build strong logistical and operational support in these markets. For new markets we look at regions where there is the opportunity to be able to build a solid base of restaurants as well as to represent all of our brands.

How do potential investors or restauranteers who wish to obtain your franchise get in touch with Spur?

Potential investors are welcome to visit our website which will give you a range of information.