The Famous Brands Story: From Corner Cafe to JSE

Famous Brands Ltd, as it is known today, started as a single Steers restaurant in the early 1960s, and now comprises more than 2100 restaurants across a portfolio of 20 brands, as well as extremely lucrative logistics, manufacturing and retail components.

George Halamandres's family came to South Africa from Greece with practically nothing but big ideas. The company grew, restaurant by restaurant, until the inevitable happened - unimagined success on a national and international scale.

From corner café to JSE giant chronicles the birth and rebirth of some of South Africa's best known brands, and tells the story of the people who inspired and managed them.

Brands in the Famous Brands stable include: Steers, Wimpy, Debonairs Pizza, Mugg & Bean, FishAways, Milky Lane, tashas, Vovo Telo, Giramundo, Europa, Fego Caffe, Keg, McGintys, The Brewers Guild, House of Coffees, Brazilian Café, Juicy Lucy, Turn 'n Tender, The Bread Basket, Trufruit, Aqua Monte and Baltimore.

CARIÉ MAAS has worked for financial publications such as Finansies & Tegniek/Finance Week (today Finweek) and Sake24 in Beeld and Rapport. She worked with Jannie Mouton on his biography, And then they fired me. Her debut novel, Koljander, was published in 2013.