The surprising South African restaurant franchise with locations in the UK, Saudi Arabia and Dubai
Ocean Basket has expanded into several international countries after launching its first store in Pretoria in 1995.
Ocean Basket was founded by brothers Peter “Fats” and George Lazarides, and quickly became South Africa’s most popular seafood restaurant chain.
The Lazarides brothers are from a Greek family; their father worked as a carpenter, and their mother was a housewife.
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.
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. 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.
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. 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. The new restaurant could not serve breakfasts, desserts, salads, pasta, liquor, tea or coffee.
Despite being a seafood restaurant, their menu was also limited to only five items: Hake, Kingklip, sole, calamari, and prawns. 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.
International expansion
Ocean Basket began its international expansion in 2008, opening its first stores outside South Africa in Cyprus. The retailer has expanded massively since then, with over 200 locations in a total of 16 countries:
- South Africa/Mauritius/Nigeria/Zimbabwe/Namibia/Botswana/Kenya/Zambia
- Kazakhstan/Cyprus/Malta/United Kingdom
- Saudi Arabia/United Arab Emirates/Qatar/Kuwait
The company has recently opened its first store in Abu Dhabi, adding to the existing stores in nearby Dubai, in celebration of its 30th birthday.
Family of BusinessTech in Abu Dhabi recently visited the new restaurant, which offers a modern restaurant and the signature large portions.
Written by Luke Fraser
Original article: https://businesstech.co.za/news/business/850656/the-surprising-south-african-restaurant-franchise-with-locations-in-the-uk-saudi-arabia-and-dubai/