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Roman's Pizza

This article is about the South African restaurant chain. For the pizza style, see Roman pizza.

Roman's Pizza is a South African pizza franchise founded in 1993 in Pretoria. The company operates over 250 outlets in South Africa and in parts of Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia.[2]

History

Roman's Pizza was established by Arthur Nicolakakis in 1993, originally under the name "Little Caesar’s". In 2002, the company rebranded to Roman's Pizza.[3]

John Nicolakakis, the founder’s son, joined in 2001 and later became CEO, overseeing a period of growth and operational expansion.[3]

Operations

The business operates on a franchising model, with store formats including both takeaway and sit-down options. Roman's Pizza has expanded to neighbouring countries, including Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia.[4]

Menu

Roman's Pizza serves pizza with a choice of pan or traditional crust. The menu includes pizza, pasta, pizza pies, garlic bread, salads, and combo offerings. A well-known sales feature is the pricing of two pizzas together as one item.[4]

Media coverage

In 2024, Roman's Pizza received the highest score in a comparative taste test of major South African pizza chains conducted by BusinessTech.[2]

The brand has run advertising campaigns featuring South African public figures such as Barry Hilton and Alfred Ntombela.[5]

Awards

CEO John Nicolakakis received the Young Business Leader of the Year (Southern Africa) award at the 2015 All Africa Business Leaders Awards.[3] In 2016, the company won Brand Builder of the Year from the Franchise Association of South Africa.[6]

Controversies

In 2018, a recording of CEO John Nicolakakis making remarks about competing chains was published by HuffPost South Africa.[7]

In 2015, the company paid R200,000 to settle a complaint related to franchise compliance with religious dietary guidelines.[8]

References

  1. ^ Staff Writer. "Top 20 fast food franchises that make the most money in South Africa". BusinessTech. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  2. ^ a b "We taste-tested South Africa's top pizza chains – and the winner was clear". BusinessTech. 26 July 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  3. ^ a b c von Moltke-Todd, Nadine (28 October 2016). "How Roman's Pizza Got A Great Big Slice of Success (Over R1 Billion Of It)". Entrepreneur South Africa. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  4. ^ a b "SA Franchise Brands: Roman's Pizza". SA Franchise Brands. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  5. ^ "Roman's Pizza campaign pays tribute to advertising legends". The Media Online. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  6. ^ "Roman's Pizza Franchise". Franchise Association of South Africa. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  7. ^ "Roman's Pizza CEO Allegedly Threatens To 'Burn Down' Competitors". HuffPost South Africa. 8 June 2018. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  8. ^ "Pizza franchise pays R200k over Halal refusal". IOL. 5 November 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2025.