Scooters Pizza Makes A Comeback After 10 Years.
The first of a targeted 150 stores ‘over the next five years’ has opened up in Melville.
On offer are franchise deals at a total investment cost of around R1.6m to R2m – and ‘Eat as much pizza as you can in 39min’ on Mondays. Image: Supplied
Iconic South African fast-food chain Scooters Pizza is back, aiming to recapture the hearts (and stomachs) of pizza lovers nearly 10 years after disappearing from the market.
The first rebranded store officially launched on Tuesday (21 October) in Melville, Johannesburg, marking the start of a new chapter for the once-dominant brand.
Launched in 2000 by Carlo Gonzaga, former CEO of Taste Holdings, Scooters Pizza quickly gained popularity.
Its success was built on a bold promise of delivery in 39 minutes or the order was free.
By 2006, Scooters boasted 100 stores.
What happened next
The brand’s trajectory shifted when Taste Holdings acquired the master franchise licence for Domino’s Pizza.
Scooters stores were gradually converted, and by 2016 the original brand was liquidated. Taste Holdings eventually exited the food sector.
The comeback is being spearheaded by franchise builder Juan Engelbrecht, the former master licence holder for Scooters Pizza in the Western Cape in 2002 and 2003.
Engelbrecht, through 1st Choice Business Brokers & Franchising, acquired the dormant brand after previous unsuccessful attempts.
“In 2016, I tried to get the trademark for Scooters but was unsuccessful, and in 2021 I was unsuccessful in buying 55 Domino’s shops that went on auction.”
He says he felt a responsibility to revive the “legendary” brand that won the Fasa (Franchise Association of South Africa) Brand Builder of the Year three times.
“I have always loved the brand, and social media has been filled with people enquiring what has happened to Scooters … I felt it my responsibility to relaunch it.”
The 39-minute promise is back too
The Melville store aims to recapture the original Scooters spirit. Crucially, the famous 39-minute delivery promise within a specified radius is back.
“The 39min delivery … is the bedrock of the company’s former success and it will remain the same,” Engelbrecht says.
He adds that Scooters will manage its own fleet and drivers – with “no outsourcing of delivery”.
To further entice pizza lovers, the brand is offering an “Eat as much pizza as you can in 39min” challenge on Mondays.
Franchise opportunity
From day one, the revived Scooters is aggressively pursuing franchise expansion. Engelbrecht says they already have “69 franchise enquiries” and hope to open in Cape Town in November.
The ambitious targets include “20 stores in 2026 and, God willing, we aim for 150 outlets over the next five years”.
According to the 1st Choice Business Brokers website, the estimated total investment cost for a new Scooters Pizza franchise is between R1.66 million and R2 million.
Franchisees will pay an ongoing 6% royalty fee and contribute to marketing – a fixed monthly cost of R2 500 plus a minimum 3% of revenue for local marketing.