Famous Brands

History

Founded by George Halamandress in 1960, Famous Brands was originally known as Steers. Halamandress had previously created the original Milky Lane ice cream parlours, followed in quick succession by the first South African steakhouse.

In 1999, Steers Group acquired Debonairs Pizza.

In August 2003, Famous Brands acquired Pleasure Foods, which included the South African master franchise license for Wimpy for R150.6 million.

In February 2007, Famous Brands acquired a majority stake in Wimpy.

In July 2009, Famous Brands acquired Mugg & Bean.

In September 2016, Famous Brands acquired Gourmet Burger Kitchen in the United Kingdom from Capricorn Ventures for £120 million. In October 2020, Gourmet Burger Kitchen was sold to Boparan Restaurant Group for an undisclosed sum.

Operations

Famous Brands' operations comprise 4 pillars - restaurants, manufacturing, logistics, and retail. As of 2025, the group operated 9 logistics sites, 11 manufacturing facilities, and sold a total of 188 products.

As per the group's February 2025 financial statements, it had 2,979 restaurants in 30 countries. Of these, 2,626 were located in South Africa. A further 224 were located throughout the SADC, 68 across the rest of Africa and the Middle East, and 61 in the United Kingdom.

As of mid-2025, Famous Brands owned and operated the following restaurant chains in its mainstream category:

• Debonairs Pizza (868 locations)
• Steers (735 locations)
• Wimpy (539 locations)
• Mugg & Bean (322 locations)
• Fishaways (242 locations)
• Milky Lane (132 locations)
• Signature Brands (122 locations)
• Mr Bigg's (13 locations)
• Other (6 locations)

The group operates numerous small, upmarket chains under its Signature Brands portfolio, including Lupa, Mythos, Paul, Salsa Mexican Grill, Turn ‘n Tender, Vovo Telo, and House of Coffees.

Sustainability

In 2022, Famous Brands met its goal of sourcing 100% cage-free eggs across all of its products and locations.

References

References

1. (2025). "Famous Brands - Annual Results Presentation for the Year Ended 28 February 2025". Famous Brands.
2. "Famous Brands - Board and Management". Famous Brands.
3. "Famous Brands - Home". Famous Brands.
4. "Famous Brands - BBBEE Certificate". Famous Brands.
5. "Some memories of Rosebank in 1966 {{!}} The Heritage Portal".
6. Agrawal, Vanshika. (2023-01-11). "Debonairs Pizza SWOT & PESTLE Analysis {{!}} SWOT & PESTLE".
7. "Steers buys Pleasure Foods".
8. "Wimpy links with Rascals for year-long promotion".
9. simon. (2009-07-27). "Mugg & Bean joins Group".
10. (2016-09-01). "Wimpy owner, Famous Brands, buys Gourmet Burger Kitchen for £120m". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk.
11. Butler, Sarah. (2020-10-14). "Ranjit Singh Boparan buys Gourmet Burger Kitchen in rescue deal". The Guardian.
12. Staff Writer. (7 June 2025). "South Africa’s most popular pizza chain opening a new outlet every other week". BusinessTech.
13. (2022-11-18). "Famous Brands meets 100% cage-free goal three years early".