ON A ROLL

Burgers with a side of ethics at Roco Mamas

ROCOMAMAS’ bright and zesty orange has been around for only three-and-a-half years, but in that short time it has become one of the most popular new “fast-food” brands in South Africa.

Brian Altriche, 47, started the business after grappling with the kind of food his teenage daughters were eating. He wanted fast, casual dining, but he also wanted it to be nutritious.

So first came the “smashburger”, minced meat that’s smashed into a patty, a concept he brought from the US.

The offering included the vibey atmosphere of the restaurant, enthusiastic use of social media (the brand is prolific on Instagram), and allowing consumers to choose what to put on their burgers.

Now the brand has 52 outlets, including four abroad — in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Mauritius and Namibia.

There are plans to go even further afield and the company is building in Kenya, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

“Like I always say to our franchisees and operators: we can’t control what happens out there, we only control what happens within these four walls,” said Altriche.

“Sometimes people bamboozle themselves with financial indicators. It’s tough out there, but we’ve seen good growth considering we’ve got a very depressed economy.”

Altriche comes across as something of a philosopher about food, with clear values relating to life, nutrition and business ethics.

He’s been in the food game for years, initially as a Spur franchisee for 12 years. He was the first Ocean Basket franchisee, in 1996, and started Mad Buzz and Go Girl, an energy drink for women, which is still going in the US in about 22 states. There’s also the sushi bar YuMe (it means dream in Japanese).

RocoMamas attracted interest from private equity, but Altriche isn’t a fan. He loves Spur and chose to sell it 51% of the company. “It’s a company with a lot of integrity, especially as a franchisor,” he said of Spur.

“I’ve always been scared about investors. I’ve had nightmare relationships with investors — private equity takes the soul out of a business. They’re run by accountants . . . money should never be the defining reason of why you do a business; money should always come if you do business properly.”

For Altriche it’s about more than just food; there’s a wealth of creativity involved. After matric he moved to Hollywood in Los Angeles where he airbrushed Harleys and leather jackets. He loves the can-do mentality of Americans.

But it was frustrating getting money from debtors, “so eventually I sat there one day and worked out that up to 10% of my debts are not recoverable, so what am I working for?”

When he moved back to South Africa after 1994 he started painting signage for restaurants. He had no tertiary education but was creative and learnt fast, and has an immense capacity for detail.

“I just loved the concept of the food game. I looked at it and saw a small stock. As long STICKING: Brian Altriche created the RocoMamas brand as you can get the customer to sit here, you do the sale, you manufacture and distribute and you get paid all in one shot. It’s such a brilliant business model. And that’s why I don’t get it when guys cock up. The customer is here, so fix it.”

Altriche still has three Spur restaurants in Johannesburg — in Southgate, Gold Reef City and the Carlton Centre.

“I have a dream for those. I have a lot of loyal employees I’ve developed over the years. Today they’re effectively operating partners in this business . . . I’d rather sell to them to grow than sell to some guy on the street.

“My dream is to empower those people who’ve been loyal to my organisation and have them have equity in these businesses. I have these five tigers running the businesses that are off the wall . . . I can’t allow them to be devoured by somebody else out there. That’s why I’ve kept the stores and I’m slowly but surely giving them more equity.”

At one point he was a shareholder at the News Café in Sandton, but “I couldn’t wrap my head around selling alcohol to drunk people . . . for me it was a social dilemma”. RocoMamas sells spirits and craft beers.

“I resonate with Starbucks as a business model. I can’t wait to get fibre in all my stores. I dig that approach . . . I like that people can sit in their downtime. I’m not scared that people can sit on their computer; in peak lunch time they pack up and leave because it’s too busy for them. But when it’s between two and six, I must have a quiet shop. I want people to linger.”

The initial business plan was 45% takeaway and 55% sitdown. Countrywide, it’s running at 28% takeaway.

“For me we’re best in class at takeaway,” he said. (RocoMamas uses Mr D.)

He’s acutely aware of value, and of what resonates with the middle-class customer.

He doesn’t like it when restaurants load prices for home delivery.

“That for me is a problem. This is where Spur aces it. Spur refuses to up its prices for delivery or at the airports.”

Altriche is hands-on at the operational level. He still gets involved with the murals, and often works on the menus. He designs logos, and gets involved with social media even though there’s a team running this. And it doesn’t stop there. He’s working on a pizza concept, and he’d like to come up with a bakery, something more middle class than upmarket. “A lot of people find artisanal food very intimidating,” he said.

The brand is among the most prolific on Instagram