The Pantry which is located in Rosebank, Johannesburg has been more successful than expected since it opened in March 2022 and its founder, The Marble Group, is set to rollout its concept even more quickly than first planned.
Dino Constantinou, a partner within The Marble group, which also owns the Marble, Saint and Zioux restaurants, told Property Flash that between 20 and 30 Pantry stores will be rolled out over the next few years.
“When Covid-19 broke, we realised that we needed to do something and quick as our restaurants couldn’t operate. We wanted to created an app to deliver fresh high-quality food. But then we found that the space at the bottom of the building where Marble sits, was up for use. We had wanted to create a destination brick and mortar store for a while and it all came together,” he said.
“People are drawn to the Pantry. They like the new energy. It’s an outing for all kinds of people, not just the high LSM customers we had expected. I love that we have been able to make buying groceries an interesting experience. Everyone takes something different from it and The Pantry really has grown from word of mouth advertising. You can buy specialised goods or you can get sunlight soap for the same price that you would at Checkers,” he said.
The Pantry may only be accessed from one side of a road but it is highly visible. Special LED panels have been placed on the building.
The app is also nearly completed and will be rolled out shortly.
“We will guarantee delivery in under 60 minutes. We really want it to enhance the shopping experience. We are working out how we will expand the Pantry concept across the country. We want to have 20 to 30 stores in the best locations. We might partner with petrol stations in our plan,” Constantinou said.
The Pantry in Rosebank will host events, “activations” and displays. Constantinou explains that there could be Halloween and Christmas events for The Pantry as it evolves into a highly popular, loved destination experience.