{"id":850656,"date":"2026-02-15T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-15T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=850656"},"modified":"2026-02-13T16:13:45","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T14:13:45","slug":"the-surprising-south-african-restaurant-franchise-with-locations-in-the-uk-saudi-arabia-and-dubai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/business\/850656\/the-surprising-south-african-restaurant-franchise-with-locations-in-the-uk-saudi-arabia-and-dubai\/","title":{"rendered":"The surprising South African restaurant franchise with locations in the UK, Saudi Arabia and Dubai"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ocean Basket has expanded into several international countries after launching its first store in Pretoria in 1995. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ocean Basket<\/a> was founded by brothers Peter \u201cFats\u201d and George Lazarides, and quickly became South Africa’s most popular seafood restaurant chain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lazarides brothers are from a Greek family; their father worked as a carpenter, and their mother was a housewife.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their mother, Mama Liza, instilled a strong sense of love and appreciation for food in the brothers, which they would later use to create Ocean Basket. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brothers opened Fats Seafood Restaurant in 1988. While the restaurant worked, the brothers believed it was not “the one” and sold it a few years later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1995, while Fats was working at a Spar in Bruma, his wife found an empty spot at Menlyn Park shopping centre and suggested he open a restaurant there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brothers then decided to open another seafood restaurant in the Pretoria area, but looked to put a spin on the food on offer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While many believed that seafood was something only enjoyed by the wealthy, the brothers wanted to serve delicious, accessible seafood in generous portions, inspired by their mother. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The restaurant’s launch came with serious challenges, as their lease imposed strict restrictions to protect other restaurants in the mall, limiting the food they could sell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new restaurant could not serve breakfasts, desserts, salads, pasta, liquor, tea or coffee. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite being a seafood restaurant, their menu was also limited to only five items: Hake, Kingklip, sole, calamari, and prawns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the drinks menu also limited to Wine, Coke and Castle Light, the brothers said that if people wanted anything else, they would have to bring it themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The business took off immediately, with the second Ocean Basket opening within six months. By 2000, there were close to 80 stores. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After over a decade of running the company, Fats stepped down and handed the reins to Grace Harding, who is still the group’s CEO. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fats and Harding met when she helped him set up another popular takeaway seafood restaurant, Fishaways, in collaboration with Steers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

International expansion<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Ocean Basket Founders <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Ocean Basket began its international expansion in 2008, opening its first stores outside South Africa in Cyprus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The retailer has expanded massively since then, with over 200 locations in a total of 16 countries:<\/p>\n\n\n\n