Col’Cacchio expands its reach as competition for convenient meals grows

Under Group CEO Etienne Pieterse, the 34-year-old restaurant brand is extending its business through GO outlets and retail distribution, responding to changing consumer needs while retaining its Italian-inspired food identity.

Col’Cacchio is consciously expanding the way in which consumers can buy their food through dedicated takeaway outlets and supermarket shelves, alongside the sit-down restaurants that established the brand.

The group’s current GO network spans nine locations, with eight in South Africa and one in Mauritius. The format launched in Westlake, Cape Town, in April 2025 and has since expanded to locations including the Old Biscuit Mill, an Engen convenience site in Kimberley and Tribeca Mall in Mauritius.

Alongside GO, Col’Cacchio’s heat-and-eat pizza range is available through selected SPAR, Checkers and Nibbly Bits stores, taking the brand into home meals that do not require a restaurant visit or delivery order. Together, these formats broaden the business beyond restaurant tables at a time when competition for convenient meals increasingly crosses the boundaries between hospitality and food retail.

“Being around for more than 30 years is something we are incredibly proud of, but longevity alone does not guarantee relevance,” says Etienne Pieterse, Group CEO of Col’Cacchio. “You have to understand how your customer is changing and be willing to adapt around that. The important part is knowing what can evolve and what should remain at the heart of the brand.”

A growing market with more competitors

According to Trade Intelligence’s Ready-to-Eat Food Report 2026/27, as reported by Business Day on 30 September, South Africa’s quick-service restaurant market was valued at R45.5 billion in 2025, up 11.4% from the previous year. It was the largest and fastest-growing segment of the country’s out-of-home food market.

The research also highlights competition from supermarket delis, forecourts and smaller food businesses. Consumers choosing a quick meal have more options, putting pressure on operators to compete on convenience, price, quality and the occasion itself.

For an established restaurant brand, that creates a practical challenge. A customer looking for dinner on the way home may make a different purchasing decision from someone planning an evening out, even when both want food from the same brand.

Col’Cacchio’s formats offer different ways to serve those needs. Restaurants provide the full sit-down experience, retail products allow customers to prepare meals at home, and GO centres on takeaway, collection and delivery.

Taking an established brand into different settings

Founded in Cape Town in 1992 at it’s iconic Foreshore location, Col’Cacchio has built its reputation around Italian-inspired food and a strong restaurant experience. GO takes that same brand into a faster, more flexible format.

Its growing footprint shows how the model can work across different environments, from neighbourhood shopping centres to convenience locations and international malls.

Retail adds another layer to that evolution. Through its packaged pizza range, Col’Cacchio can reach customers beyond its restaurants and takeaway outlets, placing the brand directly into the at-home meal occasion.

For Pieterse, the opportunity is not to move away from what built Col’Cacchio, but to find new ways for customers to access it while protecting the quality and identity at the heart of the brand.

“We are not moving away from restaurants, and we are not trying to become something completely different. The opportunity is to take what people already value about Col’Cacchio and find new ways to make it relevant to how they are living and eating today.”

The opportunity now is to meet consumers wherever the occasion takes them. Col’Cacchio’s expanding footprint reflects how a 34-year-old restaurant business is evolving beyond the dining room, creating new ways for customers to experience the brand through takeaway, delivery and meals at home.