Their goal was to deliver a consistently high-quality dining experience focused on expertly prepared steak, a curated wine selection, and warm customer service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The brothers\u2019 philosophy was \u201cgood food, served with friendly honesty in a pleasant, comfortable atmosphere, with the right attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The brand quickly gained traction, and in November 1982, the Aarons launched a second location in Braamfontein. This branch soon became the flagship store and played a pivotal role in establishing the brand\u2019s reputation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Braamfontein restaurant was considered by many to be a culinary institution, attracting a loyal customer base and enhancing the visibility of the Turn \u2018n Tender name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following several years of successful operation, the brand underwent a relaunch in June 2007. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brian Aaron partnered with property developer and businessman Farrel Osher to revitalise the business and modernise what it had to offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As part of this initiative, the brand returned to its original name, Turn \u2018n Tender, and expanded its footprint by opening new locations in key areas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These areas included Parktown Quarter (Parktown North), the Thrupps Centre (Illovo), Nicolway Centre (Bryanston), and Camaro View Centre (Bassonia). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The relaunch positioned the brand for growth in a more competitive restaurant market while maintaining its original values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In July 2010, the company closed its smaller format \u201cMini Tender\u201d concept and opted to open a larger, full-service restaurant at the Thrupps Centre in Illovo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This shift reflected the brand\u2019s strategic decision to focus on full-scale operations that could better deliver its core value proposition of quality food, honest and friendly service, and a comfortable atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The catalyst for Turn ‘n Tender<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Aaron-brothers-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a>The four brothers, Mervyn, Steven, Howard, and Brian Aaron<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nBy 2013, Turn \u2018n Tender had grown to five restaurants. Recognising its potential in the casual dining sector, Famous Brands acquired<\/a> a 51% stake in Turn \u2018n Tender\u2019s trademarks and existing franchise agreements.<\/p>\n\n\n\nImportantly, two founding brothers, Brian and Mervyn Aaron, stayed on to help guide the brand’s next chapter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the time, the steakhouse industry was experiencing significant growth. Famous Brands believed Turn \u2018n Tender was well-positioned to carve out a strong niche between mass-market options and high-end fine dining. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The brand\u2019s long-standing reputation and popularity, dating back to its 2007 relaunch, made it an attractive investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reflecting on the acquisition, Brian Aaron noted that the vision he and his brothers shared in 1977 remained unchanged: to offer a casual yet exceptional dining experience marked by top-quality food and heartfelt service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Partnering with Famous Brands, he said, marked a proud milestone. It was a strategic move that would allow Turn \u2018n Tender to benefit from the franchise giant\u2019s operational expertise while preserving the soul and character that made the brand special. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSelecting the right partner for growth was a very important part of our decision,\u201d Aaron explained at the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFamous Brands has tremendous insight into running and managing food franchises, so it was an obvious choice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since then, Turn \u2018n Tender has thrived, becoming one of South Africa\u2019s most recognisable steakhouse chains. As of today, the brand operates more than 17 restaurants across the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the specific roles of the Aaron brothers in the business today are not widely publicised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sadly, Mervyn and Brain Aaron have since passed away. However, the legacy the brothers built together remains alive in every Turn \u2018n Tender restaurant visited today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nInside a Turn ‘n Tender <\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Turn-n-Tender10-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Turn-n-Tender9-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Turn-n-Tender7-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Turn-n-Tender6-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Turn-n-Tender5-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Turn-n-Tender4-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Turn-n-Tender3-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Turn-n-Tender2-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Turn-n-Tender1-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Aaron brothers are the founders of Turn \u2018n Tender, one of South Africa\u2019s best-known steakhouse chains with a history that spans nearly five decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":827256,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9872],"tags":[853,16079],"class_list":["post-827147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-south-africa","tag-turn-n-tender"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/827147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/92"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=827147"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/827147\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":827926,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/827147\/revisions\/827926"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/827256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=827147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=827147"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=827147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/a>By 2013, Turn \u2018n Tender had grown to five restaurants. Recognising its potential in the casual dining sector, Famous Brands acquired<\/a> a 51% stake in Turn \u2018n Tender\u2019s trademarks and existing franchise agreements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Importantly, two founding brothers, Brian and Mervyn Aaron, stayed on to help guide the brand’s next chapter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At the time, the steakhouse industry was experiencing significant growth. Famous Brands believed Turn \u2018n Tender was well-positioned to carve out a strong niche between mass-market options and high-end fine dining. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The brand\u2019s long-standing reputation and popularity, dating back to its 2007 relaunch, made it an attractive investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reflecting on the acquisition, Brian Aaron noted that the vision he and his brothers shared in 1977 remained unchanged: to offer a casual yet exceptional dining experience marked by top-quality food and heartfelt service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Partnering with Famous Brands, he said, marked a proud milestone. It was a strategic move that would allow Turn \u2018n Tender to benefit from the franchise giant\u2019s operational expertise while preserving the soul and character that made the brand special. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSelecting the right partner for growth was a very important part of our decision,\u201d Aaron explained at the time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFamous Brands has tremendous insight into running and managing food franchises, so it was an obvious choice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since then, Turn \u2018n Tender has thrived, becoming one of South Africa\u2019s most recognisable steakhouse chains. As of today, the brand operates more than 17 restaurants across the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While the specific roles of the Aaron brothers in the business today are not widely publicised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sadly, Mervyn and Brain Aaron have since passed away. However, the legacy the brothers built together remains alive in every Turn \u2018n Tender restaurant visited today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Aaron brothers are the founders of Turn \u2018n Tender, one of South Africa\u2019s best-known steakhouse chains with a history that spans nearly five decades.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":827256,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9872],"tags":[853,16079],"class_list":["post-827147","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-south-africa","tag-turn-n-tender"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/827147","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/92"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=827147"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/827147\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":827926,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/827147\/revisions\/827926"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/827256"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=827147"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=827147"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=827147"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\n\n\nInside a Turn ‘n Tender <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"