Business

The man who went from working at SPAR to opening ultra-luxury petrol stations across South Africa

Kirsten Minnaar • 1 March 2026

Gary Kyriacou went from opening SPAR Supermarkets to founding the ultra-luxury hospitality group behind major brands such as Marble, Saint, Zioux, and The Pantry.

Since founding the Marble Group a decade ago, they have expanded rapidly, and they show no signs of stopping, with plans to open 100 luxury forecourts in South Africa.

Born to Greek immigrant parents, entrepreneurship was instilled in Gary Kyriacou from a young age. He was still in school when he started his first business venture of selling hard drives and fixing computers.

Kyriacou’s career began in his family’s business, opening and operating SPAR Supermarkets as Director of Retail and Commercial Development.

However, he soon grew bored with working in retail. “There was no innovation in that sector, and I just moved on,” he said on The Money Show with Stephen Grootes.

His next ventures included co-owning a printing company that produced large-format prints for the hospitality industry and helping found the coffee establishment, Lulu.

During this time, Kyriacou also secured a contract with MATCH Hospitality, the official rights holders of the FIFA 2010 World Cup Hospitality Programme.

He and his team managed the entire hospitality implementation at 10 stadiums through three different programs during the World Cup.

However, as an avid traveller, Kyriacou soon realised that something was missing in Johannesburg’s hospitality sector.

“We just had our standard restaurants, small formats, no sense of arrival. I always said that there’s nowhere for women to go to get dressed up and experience something different,” he said.

And so, the idea for Marble, a large-format experiential restaurant with open-flame cooking and top-notch service, was born. However, there was one problem – Kyriacou needed a business partner.

Fortunately, he was a shareholder in the South African division of the world’s largest real estate company, Century 21.

The company had sold a house to renowned South African chef David Higgs. Kyriacou asked the agent for his number so they could discuss his restaurant idea.

They met, and he presented Higgs with the idea and business plan for Marble. “We shook hands, and I walked out,” Kyriacou said. “The deal was done in a cheap five minutes.”

Founding Marble

Opening the restaurant also presented many challenges, including delays and the fact that banks were hesitant to loan them money.

People in the kitchen were also getting burn marks as they learned to cook over an open fire, and Marble had thousands of bookings before even opening – far exceeding their expectations.

“There were a lot of negatives, but when you travel, and you’ve been in business, you get this gut instinct that says what feels right to do. I want to prove that we can do it. And South Africa was right for changing the restaurant landscape,” Kyriacou said.

After spending a few months reworking their product and operations, Marble’s success skyrocketed.

By 2022, the number of hostesses at the front desk increased from one or two to around 14, who focused solely on answering phones and seating guests.

Following the success of Marble, Higgs and Kyriacou went on to found Saint in Sandton in 2018 and Zioux in 2021.

Unfortunately, the group, along with the rest of South Africa’s hospitality industry, fell on hard times during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We got such a fright,” Kyriacou said.

“We were left in the doll drums of nothingness, basically, as hospitality. People couldn’t come to our restaurants. So, we thought, let’s bring hospitality to a different sector of the market.”

“We thought, let’s reinvent what convenience is, and we thought backwards. We thought: let’s open a convenience store that sells petrol, not the other way around. That was our philosophy.”

This was the birth of The Pantry by Marble – an ultra luxury petrol station forecourt located in Rosebank, Johannesburg.

The Pantry by Marble

While The Pantry offers the usual conveniences of a forecourt, including 24-hour operation, it also brings hospitality to the sector.

The store elevates the typical forecourt experience with in-store chefs, imported goods, and a refined design. It also offers quality produce, grab-and-go meals, baristas, an ice cream station, and a section dedicated entirely to wine.

Since its opening in 2022, The Pantry’s popularity has exploded. After several years in business, they have finally started expanding the brand.

Towards the end of 2025, they opened the first standalone The Pantry location in Hazelwood, Pretoria. In the first six months of 2026, the group is working to open three new locations.

This includes a new The Pantry store, which opened at Omni Square in Bassonia on 22 January 2026.

This location offers a selection of global staples and deli treats, as well as classic Pantry favourites, including its popular coffee, pizzas, and soft serve.

Currently, Kyriacou said the Marble Group is looking to open 100 pantries across South Africa. Some of these will feature petrol stations, but others will be standalone convenience stores.

“The market’s big, and it’s aspirational. We’ve taken Marble’s hospitality and put it into a platform where more of the market can have a button,” he explained.

The Marble Group has also seen its other brands grow. Nearly a decade after launching the first Marble restaurant, the group opened a new location in Cape Town in January 2025.

Located in the Union Castle Building at the V&A Waterfront, Marble Cape Town seats 220 guests, featuring a prominent wine cellar and a wrap-around patio with panoramic views.

Now, the group is looking to expand its offerings even further, with Marble set to launch a 32-room hotel in the R1.7 billion Olympus development in Sandton.

Marble’s hotel will be located in Olympus’ second tower, Apollo, occupying two full floors below the penthouses.