{"id":854436,"date":"2026-03-20T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=854436"},"modified":"2026-03-20T11:33:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T09:33:08","slug":"two-iconic-fast-food-brands-making-a-comeback-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/business\/854436\/two-iconic-fast-food-brands-making-a-comeback-in-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Two iconic fast-food brands making a comeback in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Scooters Pizza and Bimbo’s are opening new outlets across the country, with both brands making a comeback in the fast-food space. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scooters and Bimbo’s were popular fast-food chains across South Africa, but both eventually closed or faded amid intense competition in the quick-service restaurant (QSR) market. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, franchise veteran Juan Engelbrecht is now bringing the brands back, aiming to revive them for a new generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scooters was launched in 2000 by the Gonzaga family and was founded on the promise to deliver pizzas in 39 minutes, or the order was free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brand quickly expanded across South Africa, with 100 locations opened by 2010. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Scooters brand began to disappear when its parent, Taste Holdings, signed a master agreement to roll out Domino’s across South Africa, with Scooters and St Elmo\u2019s franchises converted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The shift led to the retirement of the Scooters brand. While Domino’s is incredibly popular internationally, the brand failed to gain traction in South Africa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After Domino’s SA failed to find a sustainable buyer, Taste Holdings liquidated the food business in March 2020, with 55 outlets shut and its assets later auctioned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brand made a comeback last year, when Engelbrecht relaunched it via 1st Choice Business Brokers & Franchising. The first location was in Melville in Johannesburg, which opened in October 2025. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Engelbrecht is a seasoned entrepreneur and has a strong history with Scooters Pizza, having trained in Gauteng and then moved to Cape Town as the Master Franchise Holder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking with BusinessTech, Engelbrecht said that the reaction to the rebrand surpassed his already lofty ambitions, with over 1,000 franchise enquiries since its resurrection last year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brand is set to launch several new outlets in the coming weeks, which will add to the existing outlets in Melville, Rosebank, and Florentia in Gauteng: <\/p>\n\n\n\n