Jamie Oliver to open a restaurant in Joburg
A branch of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurants will soon be hitting the Johannesburg food scene.
Confirming speculation around the move, Melrose Arch, a retail space located in Illovo and owned by Amdec Group, said that it is “excited to be welcoming Jamie’s Italian by Jamie Oliver”, promising more details soon.
According to South African foodie publication, Eat Out, Jamie Oliver’s communication director Louise Ludlum confirmed that there were plans to bring the Naked Chef’s restaurant to Joburg.
“We’re looking into the prospect of bringing Jamie’s Italian to South Africa and are currently in discussions to make this happen. Johannesburg is a vibrant, thriving city with the perfect profile for Jamie’s Italian so we’re really excited about this great opportunity for us,” she said.
@thejoburgfoodie You are correct! We are very excited to be welcoming Jamie's Italian by Jamie Oliver… Further details to follow shortly
— Melrose Arch (@MelroseArch) January 27, 2016
In 2015, there were rumours going around that plans were in place to open the Jamie’s Italian branch in Cape Town, however this was quickly dismissed by Ludlum at the time.
Jamie’s Italian was founded in 2008 and has 42 branches worldwide. In true Jamie Oliver fashion, the meals celebrate “rustic” Italian cuisine.
While Jamie Oliver doesn’t have a branded presence in South Africa, the country is home to a few restaurants with chefs that trained under him, including Giulio’s Café in Cape Town, in InFoods in Jeffery’s Bay.
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