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Forget the taxi rank caravans and oshisanyama (township outlets where people buy and braai meat).

August 20, 2007

By SLINDILE KHANYILE

Durban – Forget the taxi rank caravans and oshisanyama (township outlets where people buy and braai meat).

People can now sit down and have their pap and wors in traditional restaurants at modern shopping malls.

Except for the name, Pantsula Bites looks like any other quick-service restaurant. But the menu reveals a different story altogether. The main features are the pap and wors, curry and rice, and ujeqe (steam bread).

“We wanted to bring traditional South African cuisine in a trendy manner and present it in a hygienic environment. We wanted to make it a place that people would want to be seen at and not have to worry about things like food poisoning,” said Sotiri Sonitis, the operations director at the Piatto restaurant group, which owns Pantsula.

Piatto includes Circus Circus, Centre Court, Piatto Mediterranean Kitchen, Vilamoura and Piatto Pronto.

At present, there are two branches of Pantsula in Durban, situated at Berea Centre and uMlazi MegaCity.

“Three more outlets will be opened before the end of the year at Pinetown, Richards Bay and Johannesburg. Others are planned for Braamfontein and Westgate,” said Sonitis.

“Pantsula” is township slang referring to someone who is streetwise and trendy. The name Pantsula Bites suggests that the brand targets the youth market.

“We are trying to be hip, create a brand that will be vibey and somewhat sexy,” said Sonitis.

“But we are looking for people of all ages because they do not have the time to make these foods any more.

“For example, people do not make the steam bread as often as they used because it takes time to make.”

The first shop was opened 14 months ago at uMlazi. But Sonitis said little marketing was done because “we were concentrating on getting the look and the feel right. Our menu boards are confusing and we are in the process of changing that before we have our grand launch in about two weeks.”

Though the two existing outlets are part of the group, they are owned by individual shareholders. Sonitis, Elia Anastasakos, Pano Economou, Sifiso Zulu, Jason Caradas and Michael Yiallouris are the major shareholders.

The franchise for a smaller version of Pantsula Bites costs between R800 000 and R900 000. A bigger restaurant will require about R1.2 million.

Sonitis said the company was negotiating with the Industrial Development Corporation and the Umsobomvu Youth Fund to bring them on board as funding partners for potential franchisees.