Scooters Pizza and Bimbo’s are opening new outlets across the country, with both brands making a comeback in the fast-food space.
Scooters and Bimbo’s were popular fast-food chains across South Africa, but both eventually closed or faded amid intense competition in the quick-service restaurant (QSR) market.
However, franchise veteran Juan Engelbrecht is now bringing the brands back, aiming to revive them for a new generation.
Scooters was launched in 2000 by the Gonzaga family and was founded on the promise to deliver pizzas in 39 minutes, or the order was free.
The brand quickly expanded across South Africa, with 100 locations opened by 2010.
The Scooters brand began to disappear when its parent, Taste Holdings, signed a master agreement to roll out Domino’s across South Africa, with Scooters and St Elmo’s franchises converted.
The shift led to the retirement of the Scooters brand. While Domino’s is incredibly popular internationally, the brand failed to gain traction in South Africa.
After Domino’s SA failed to find a sustainable buyer, Taste Holdings liquidated the food business in March 2020, with 55 outlets shut and its assets later auctioned.
The brand made a comeback last year, when Engelbrecht relaunched it via 1st Choice Business Brokers & Franchising. The first location was in Melville in Johannesburg, which opened in October 2025.
Engelbrecht is a seasoned entrepreneur and has a strong history with Scooters Pizza, having opened the first outlets in Gauteng and becoming the Western Cape master franchisor.
Speaking with BusinessTech, Engelbrecht said that the reaction to the rebrand surpassed his already lofty ambitions, with over 1,000 franchise enquiries since its resurrection last year.
The brand is set to launch several new outlets in the coming weeks, which will add to the existing outlets in Melville, Rosebank, and Florentia in Gauteng:
- Waverley, Pretoria – opened earlier this week on 18 March
- Elspark, Germiston – 26 March
- Edenvale, Ekurhuleni – 7 April
- Dalview, Brakpan – 14 April
- Phalaborwa, Limpopo – 28/29 April
In addition to the outlets opening in the northern provinces of South Africa, Engelbrecht said four new locations will open in the Western Cape.
The Western Cape locations will be in Durbanville, Paarl, N1 City, and Kenilworth.
While a location in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal, is also planned, Engelbrecht said he is currently focusing on the rollout in Gauteng.
Bimbo’s coming back
On top of reviving Scooters, Engelbrecht also acquired the trade mark for Bimbo’s in November 2025.
The first Bimbo’s outlet opens in Waverley, Pretoria, on Friday, 20 March, with shopfitting for a second outlet in Tierpoort scheduled for next month.
Bimbo’s was established in 1970 and was one of the first homegrown fast-food operations to emerge in the local market. The chain primarily sold chicken and burgers.
A major draw for the brand was its 24-hour opening, making it a popular post-party spot.
The company underwent a major change in 2005, when Famous Brands, the owner of Steers and Wimpy, acquired over 30 Bimbo’s outlets located at Engen garage forecourts.
Famous Brands ultimately converted the Bimbo’s outlets into Steers or other Famous Brands quick-service outlets.
King Consolidated Holdings, which retained the Bimbo’s brand, focused on opening Bimbo’s outlets in shopping malls and other entertainment hubs.
However, the chain started to fade from the zeitgeist despite a few locations popping up here and there.
Although the number of Bimbo’s outlets may have shrunk, Engelbrecht aims to revive the brand, just as he has done with Scooters.
Scooters and Bimbo’s images
