The man who went from waiting tables to building one of South Africa’s most iconic restaurant empires
Allen Ambor went from being a waiter to founding the first Spur in 1967, and helping it grow into a JSE-listed empire of over 750 restaurants, including Panarottis, John Dory’s, and RocoMamas.
Ambor opened the first Spur in Newlands, Cape Town, in 1967.
After more than five decades of building the iconic Spur brand, Ambor wrote a memoir about the brand’s origins and journey, which he titled “A taste for life: How the Spur legend was born.”
In establishing the brand, Ambor said that he was inspired by the struggles the founder of the global sports brand Nike overcame.
“The same happened to me because I really had to battle to find premises. It took me four years from looking for premises to actually opening my business,” he told SABC.
Ambor said the origins of Spur were built on immense struggle, from finding premises to not having enough earning capacity.
The founder used a loan from his father and business partner to start what would become one of South Africa’s most popular restaurant franchises.
Having grown up in Johannesburg’s Highlands North, Ambor is the only child of two German immigrants who “fled Hitler.”
He lost his grandparents, aunts, and uncles in the Holocaust, and attributes much of his success to his hardworking parents, who taught him the skills he used to found the brand.
“I was very lucky with my parents that they set an example and taught me the value of hard work, determination, and doggedness,” Ambor said.
Ambor has a BA degree from Wits University, which he paid for by working as a waiter for a steakhouse group in Johannesburg.
He highlighted that his journey founding one of the country’s leading restaurant chains was not always easy, recalling times in Spur’s early days when he worked 20-hour shifts.
Ambor shared his “marketing ploy,” which was put into action the day before the opening of the first Golden Spur branch in Newlands, Cape Town, in 1967, which started the business off on a high, as he recalled: “We were so busy, we were run off our feet.”
On the day before the first restaurant opening, Ambor had told all the schools in the area that the restaurant would start its ice cream machine the next day and that they could get a free ice cream after school.
“The only thing that I really believe in is dedication and making sure that you never give up,” he said.
“You’ve got to work hard, and that means that sometimes you’ve got to do three people’s jobs and you can’t say ‘I can’t cope,’ you’ve got to cope more,” advised Ambor.
Ambor served as executive chairman of the Spur Corporation board since the company’s listing on the JSE in 1986, and retired from the group after 51 years at the company in March 2019.
Spur’s financial snapshot
In its recent financial report for the six months ended 31 December 2025, the Spur reported a 7.2% increase in restaurant sales and an 8% increase in profit before income tax, to R161 million.
The Spur brand, which was the main driver of volume growth in the country during the period, was also the dominant contributor to the group, accounting for 64% of the group’s South African restaurant sales.
The brand is also a leading contributor internationally, representing 39% of the group’s international restaurant sales.
Spur Corporation owns 10 restaurant brands: Spur, Panarottis, John Dory’s, RocoMamas, Hussar Grill, Doppio Zero, Piza e Vino, Casa Bella, Modern Tailors, and NIKOS—which was sold back to its founding family this month.
The group has 753 outlets trading across South Africa and 13 countries in the rest of Africa and Mauritius.
The 58-year-old Spur brand itself currently has 355 outlets, including 34 in international markets.
The group reported that seven new Spur restaurants were opened during the six-month period, while highlighting its reintroduction in Lesotho.
In 2024/25 the group announced the transformation of the Spur brand, with a new logo and internal look, which it said has generated heightened interest among both consumers and franchisees.
Currently, 79 outlets, including seven located outside South Africa, are trading under the new concept and delivering a revitalised dining experience.
The group has also expanded its services to a limited ‘fast food’ model, with two Spur Drive-Thrus now operating in the country.
Loading ...