South Africa’s ultra-luxury deli and take-away opening in a new location

Pantry by Marble is opening a new standalone store at The Village in Hazelwood, which includes The Old East Precinct.

The Old East Precinct is situated between Hazelwood and Dely Roads and is the first South African development of its kind.

The suburban zone includes The Village & Village Walk casual restaurant and shopping hub, The Club retail hub, and other amenities.

Pantry by Marble is an ultra-luxury supermarket, deli, take-away, and retail store offering clients high-quality food.

Celebrity chef David Higgs and serial businessman Gary Kyriacou, who started Marble, Saint, and Zioux, are behind Pantry.

The first Pantry was a high-end petrol station forecourt in Rosebank, close to their Marble restaurant.

Higgs said launching a luxury petrol station forecourt was the next logical step for them to diversify their revenue stream during the pandemic.

“We came up with four or five different concepts of what we could do if this happened again or this COVID thing doesn’t go away quickly,” he said.

“One of the most important things we wanted to do was to bring the hospitality feel back into the grocer.”

The luxury Pantry forecourt offers wines, grab-and-go meals, local produce, good coffee and baked goods.

Everything, down to the music, is carefully curated to ensure customers have an excellent experience.

In addition, it is open 24 hours a day, and chefs and restaurant managers are in-store to help customers with their queries.

One major hurdle the pair faced when opening the Pantry was that they didn’t have a retail license for petrol sales yet, meaning they couldn’t make any petrol sales.

“We opened the first two months without selling one litre of petrol, so we opened the convenience shop before the petrol started,” Kyriacou said.

It worked so well that they struggled to keep up with how fast products flew off the shelves since the Pantry took off so quickly.

As a result, similar to when Marble opened, they had to rethink the business structure and staffing to ensure smooth operation.

They succeeded, and today, Pantry aligns with the excellent quality and hospitality associated with the Marble group.

New Pantry in Pretoria

Last week, Pantry announced the opening of a standalone store in The Village in Hazelwood, Pretoria.

Atterbury, one of South Africa’s largest real estate development, investment and management companies, is developing the new Pantry.

“We’re building something special at The Village and are excited to welcome Pantry by Marble to The Old East Precinct,” Atterbury said.

The new Pantry will open in November 2025 and will offer the Village community a unique gourmet experience.

“It’s a matter of association, and we’re delighted to associate with such a fantastic concept,” Atterbury said.

“At the Old East Precinct, we’re dedicated to constantly enhancing your lifestyle, and Pantry perfectly embodies that commitment.”

Atterbury is the developer of The Village and Old East Precinct projects, offering an eclectic food, drink, and leisure hub.

It is an open-air dining environment boasting a selection of restaurants, eateries, and boutique retailers.

Photos of Pantry in Rosebank