Business

Ultra-luxury petrol station rolling out new stores across South Africa

Kirsten Minnaar • 13 September 2026

Pantry by Marble, founded by chef David Higgs and businessman Gary Kyriacou, is expanding its premium convenience-store concept across South Africa with plans to reach 30 stores.

Higgs and Kyriacou have been doing business together for the last decade, since they opened their first fine-dining restaurant, Marble, in 2016.

Since then, they have continued to grow their brand through two new restaurant concepts, Saint and Zioux.

One of their most recognisable ventures is Pantry by Marble, a high-end petrol station forecourt, which they started during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The pair knew they had to come up with a new business to navigate this period and thought about bringing the hospitality experience into a grocery store concept.

The idea they came up with was a luxury forecourt offering wines, grab-and-go meals, local produce, good coffee, and baked goods – all with the everyday convenience you would get from a garage.

Despite a few setbacks – like the fact that they weren’t allowed to sell petrol when they opened – the Pantry was a hit, and even struggled to keep up with the demand.

Now, four years after the business first opened, Pantry by Marble is considered Johannesburg’s most iconic fuel station and is a favourite among the city’s food lovers.

There are currently three permanent Pantry locations across Johannesburg and Pretoria – the original location in Rosebank, one in Bassonia, and another in Hazelwood.

There is also a pop-up Pantry located in the upper retail floor of The MARC, a shopping centre in Sandown, Sandton. Several new Pantry locations are also in the pipeline.

Among these are a 1,300-square-meter standalone store next to the Mall of Africa in Midrand, and another across from Fourways Mall, which is set to open in September 2026.

The group is also planning to open a Pantry store in the new R2 billion Olympus Sandton development. Backed by Tricolt and Growthpoint, the development will feature two towers – The Athena and The Apollo.

The convenience store will be located on the ground floor of the 24-storey Athena Tower. This is one of the group’s most ambitious projects to date, as it will also open a brand-new restaurant and hotel.

The restaurant, Jellyfish, will be located on the 18th floor of The Athena, while the hotel, Maison Marble, will take up two floors within the 16-storey Apollo tower.

Pantry by Marble expansion plans

These projects are only the beginning for the Pantry, as Marble Hospitality plans to continue expanding the franchise.

“I think Pantry can get to around 30 stores over the next three to four years,” Kyriacou told Daily Investor.

“But I don’t want to open 30 stores just so we can say we have 30 stores. Every site has to make sense, and every Pantry still has to feel like Pantry.”

What sets the Pantry apart from other petrol forecourts is the attention to detail Kyriacou and Higgs have had since the start.

Everything, down to the music, was curated, and they constantly worked to source new products, rearrange items and ensure the experience improved daily.

“The whole idea from the beginning was to take a convenience store and ask why it couldn’t be a great hospitality experience as well,” Kyriacou said.

“You might be stopping for fuel, buying milk, grabbing a coffee or taking dinner home, but why should any of those things have to be ordinary?”

He stressed that the brand does not want to lose the sense of hospitality that made the Pantry what it is today.

“As we grow, that is probably the most important thing for us to protect. We can make Pantry much bigger, but I never want it to become just another convenience store chain.”