Retail

New ultra-luxury convenience store opening in South Africa

Kirsten Minnaar • 20 October 2025

Following the success of the Pantry petrol forecourt in Rosebank, which launched in 2022, the business is now opening its first standalone store on 1 November 2025 in Hazelwood, Pretoria.

As the group’s first standalone location, the new Pantry is expected to be bigger and present a wider offering while keeping customer favourites.

The group is also set to open a new store in Bassonia, Johannesburg, in November 2025, marking a wave of expansion for Pantry.

Celebrity chef David Higgs and serial businessman Gary Kyriacou founded the Marble Hospitality Group in 2016. Since then, they have opened some of South Africa’s most well-known fine dining restaurants, including Marble, Saint, and Zioux.

One of their most popular ventures is Pantry by Marble, a high-end forecourt that offers wines, grab-and-go meals, local produce, good coffee and baked goods.

The idea for the store came during the Covid-19 pandemic when Higgs and Kyriacou were looking for a way to restructure their business, since the restaurant industry took a hard hit during this time.

One idea they considered was bringing hospitality to the grocery sector. And so, the idea for Pantry, and its “fancy but easy” concept, was born.

Everything down to the music was carefully curated to ensure customers had an excellent experience. The store also offers restaurant-grade meals like wood-fire oven pizzas, prego rolls, ice cream and burgers.

The store is open 24 hours a day, and seeks to give customers the convenience they would expect from a normal garage.

For the first two months after opening the store, they couldn’t sell any petrol. They were worried that opening the forecourt on its own would be too risky.

However, the business took off so quickly that they struggled to keep pace with how quickly products were flying off the shelves.

The success of the business has continued to grow since its launch, and today, Pantry has become one of South Africa’s most popular forecourts.

The group has not slowed down, either, as they are constantly looking at sourcing new products, rearranging items to increase sales, and ensuring the experience improves daily.

Despite the store’s success, there is currently only one other Pantry location, located within Standard Bank’s Rosebank office. However, this is set to change soon.

Pantry takes South Africa by storm

The group’s new store in Hazelwood will have a similar offering, featuring Pantry favourites like pizza, burgers, ready-to-go bowls and sandwiches.

“There’s no petrol station attached to this one, so we’ve got a lot more room,” Kyriacou revealed on Pantry’s social media. “So we’re really looking to push the boundaries with what we’ve got to offer.”

In particular, Kyriacou pointed out that the extra space has allowed them to expand their grocery offering. News24 also confirmed that, unlike Rosebank’s location, the Hazelwood Pantry will not be open 24/7.

Pantry recently launched an app and delivery service, allowing customers in Rosebank and surrounds to order from the store. This service will also be available for the new Hazelwood location.

The new store opening is only one of several new developments for Pantry. In addition to the new Hazelwood store, a new Pantry is expected to open in Bassonia, Johannesburg, in November 2025.

However, the group is yet to share more information about the Bassonia location. Pantry also recently announced a new pop-up store will run in the Mall of Africa Crystal Court from 16 October 2025 to February 2026.

Designed by Irene Kyriacou, the interior stylist and designer for the Marble Group, the pop-up store will feature the Pantry’s grab-and-go favourites, like coffee, smoothies, open sandwiches, ice-cream, and pre-made meals.

However, this location will not serve hot meals like pizza and burgers, which are available at other Pantry stores.