Popular South African pizza restaurant coming after Roman’s and Debonairs

Business • 26 October 2026 • Kirsten Minnaar

South African pizza chain Col’Cacchio is expanding beyond its traditional restaurants into takeaway outlets and supermarket shelves.

The 34-year-old restaurant group operates 20 restaurants across South Africa, Namibia, and Mauritius. It is also growing its Col’Cacchio GO takeaway network and selling ready-to-heat pizzas through selected supermarkets.

The group said the expansion gives customers more ways to buy the brand’s food, whether they want to eat at a restaurant, collect a takeaway, or prepare a pizza at home.

Under CEO Etienne Pieterse, Col’Cacchio is responding to changing consumer habits while retaining its Italian-inspired menu.

“Being around for more than 30 years is something we are incredibly proud of, but longevity alone does not guarantee relevance,” Pieterse said.

“You have to understand how your customer is changing and be willing to adapt around that. The important part is knowing what can evolve and what should remain at the heart of the brand.”

This expansion comes as competition for South Africa’s quick meals market intensifies among traditional fast-food chains, supermarkets, forecourts, and smaller food businesses.

According to Trade Intelligence’s Ready-to-Eat Food Report 2026/27, South Africa’s quick-service restaurant market was valued at R45.5 billion in 2025.

This represented growth of 11.4% from the previous year, which makes it the largest and fastest-growing segment of the country’s out-of-home food market.

Established fast-food chains such as KFC and McDonald’s compete for customers seeking convenient meals, while supermarkets and forecourts offer alternatives that do not require a separate trip to a restaurant.

Col’Cacchio said that for their business model, this means serving customers across different occasions rather than relying solely on sit-down dining.

Its traditional restaurants still cater to customers planning a meal out, but its GO outlets focus on takeaway, collection, and delivery.

The takeaway format allows the brand to operate in locations where a full restaurant may not be necessary.

On top of this, its retail range allows shoppers to buy pizzas while doing their grocery shopping and to prepare them at home.

These strategies also put Col’Cacchio in competition with large, established pizza businesses such as Roman’s and Debonairs in South Africa.

These two companies have made big names for themselves in the pizza delivery market and, in Roman’s case, have expanded into retail offerings as well.

From one Cape Town pizzeria to a national brand

Col’Cacchio was founded in Cape Town in 1992 by Kinga Baranowska and Michael Terespolsky.

Baranowska developed the menu, while Terespolsky focused on growing the business and expanding its franchise network.

The restaurant built its reputation around Italian-inspired pizzas, later expanding its menu to include pasta, salads and antipasti. It also introduced vegetarian, vegan and carb-conscious options.

The group has maintained a focus on Italian ingredients, importing products such as pasta, balsamic vinegar, Parmesan and artichokes.

Over time, the business expanded beyond South Africa into Namibia and Mauritius. It now operates 20 restaurants across the three countries.

The GO format is another part of that expansion. It launched in Westlake, Cape Town, in April 2025 and has since grown to nine locations, including eight in South Africa and one at Tribeca Mall in Mauritius.

Other sites include the Old Biscuit Mill in Cape Town and an Engen convenience location in Kimberley.

These outlets allow Col’Cacchio to reach customers in different settings, from shopping destinations to fuel stations where motorists can collect a meal while stopping for petrol.

Entering the retail market

Col’Cacchio’s retail business developed during the Covid-19 pandemic, when restrictions forced restaurants across South Africa to close or operate under severe limitations.

The group began exploring ways to sell its products outside its restaurants. It developed a retail pizza range, initially sold through SPAR Sea Point.

The range has since expanded to selected SPAR and Checkers stores, as well as Nibbly Bits outlets nationwide.

The business also had to adapt its products for retail distribution. Pizzas served directly from a restaurant kitchen do not need to withstand the same transport, storage and preparation requirements as products sold through supermarkets.

So, the company had to develop products suited to retail while maintaining the quality associated with its restaurants.

“Retail couldn’t feel like a watered-down version of our restaurant experience,” Pieterse explained.

“The occasion and preparation method may be different, but the customer’s expectation isn’t. If a product carries the Col’Cacchio name, it still has to be something we’re proud to put in front of people.”

The range now includes fresh and frozen pizzas, with some products based on existing restaurant menu items.

Its Butternut, Feta, and Pumpkin Seed Praline frozen pizza, for example, is inspired by the restaurant’s Norm’s Pralina pizza.

The frozen butternut pizza won gold and was named Best Pizza in its category at the Food & Home Awards, while its frozen pepperoni pizza received silver.

Pieterse added that the retail and restaurant businesses are intended to complement one another rather than compete for the same customers.

“Sometimes the customer occasion is dinner in one of our restaurants,” he said. “Sometimes it’s a delivery, and sometimes it’s opening the freezer at home on a Wednesday night. We want to earn a place in each of those moments.”

Col’Cacchio was also named Best Restaurant Chain in South Africa at the 2026 South African Restaurant Awards, retaining the title it won in 2025.