Spur launches its first drive-thru restaurant in South Africa
The Spur Corporation has launched its first drive-thru restaurant as it aims to offer broader appeal and convenience to customers.
The drive-thru, situated in Karenspark in Pretoria, will offer meals that are traditionally sold at its restaurants including burgers, chicken wings, ribs and onion rings, the group said.
In addition, the drive-thru menu will include more snack-focused items including breakfasts in-hand and roadhouse-style desserts, it said.
Alongside the drive-thru is a traditional Spur restaurant where customers can have a sit-down meal.
“We are extremely excited to be launching the Spur brand into the drive-thru category, we are most grateful for the tremendous efforts of our internal teams and for the trust and partnership of our franchisee partner, Charles Fourie and his broader team,” said chief executive Val Nichas.
“Spur Steak Ranches is a on a journey of transformation as a brand and business. The introduction of the drive-thru is one of the progressive steps we are taking towards a more sustainable brand and business.”
In an interview with radio station Jacaranda in March, Nichas said that the group would also look at introducing drive-thru options for its other franchises such as Rocomamas.
The global Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant national lockdown and trading restrictions in all countries of operation had a material impact on Spur Corporation’s business operations and financial performance, the group said in its result published 2 March.
Spur Corporation total franchised restaurant sales across its local and international operations decreased by 29.5% to R2.9 billion, with South African franchised restaurant sales declining by 31.0% for the period.
International franchised restaurant sales, for the same period, decreased by 17.3%, it said.
After the initial hard lockdown last year, restaurants were allowed to resume a full sit-down service from 29 June 2020, subject to strict social distancing protocols, restrictions on the number of customers and a ban on the sale of alcohol.
The impact of the curfew in South Africa on evening restaurant trading hours is reflected in dinner sales for the group declining by 39%, and by 48% for the restaurant brands of The Hussar Grill, Casa Bella and Nikos in the period.
Group alcohol sales were also 39% lower for the period as a result of the ban on sale of all alcoholic drinks for part of the period.
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