Something fresh
INNOVATION: A GOURMET STREET FOOD COMPANY WITH A TRUCK OFFERS EATS FULL OF LOVE ‘We see no reason why we can’t eventually grow into an iconic South African brand such as Nando’s or RocoMamas.’
Sumting Fresh is all that its name suggests – funky and fun, creating fabulous fresh food. It’s the brain child of Hezron Louw and his business partner Andrew Leeuw; a gourmet street food company with a food truck – “bus-taurant” a catering division with a factory in Bramley, and a “bricks and mortar” restaurant in Norwood.
“It started when Andrew and I met in a taxi years ago and discovered we shared a passion for food; we also realised that if we could just get started, and we had the drive to make it. We borrowed from friends and family and put in all our savings to get the equipment we needed,” says Louw.
The partners had seen a gap in the market for gourmet-style street food, and the innovative business has grown along with the trend.
They started their first food trailer in Midrand in 2012, and worked hard to deliver great quality, delicious, fresh food, and establish a loyal customer base. They began operating at the Fourways Farmers’ Market and then expanded to other markets and festivals.
“We’ve always made sure that we offer consistently good quality food. People love us for our food, and for the fact that we are adamant about serving people with a smile, and food full of love,” says Louw.
Sumting Fresh has 50 employees, 18 of whom are full-time and the rest part-time. He and Leeuw have a strong partnership and friendship that has withstood the growing pains of a start-up business. “We are coming through stronger and more focused,” he says, adding that they complement each other “like jigsaw puzzle pieces”.
The passionate entrepreneur further explains that staff training is important and staff is encouraged to do short courses, appropriate to their interests and career choices. The company is a member of Productivity SA, which assists with self-development. “We share our experiences and business journey freely and openly, and encourage our staff to develop themselves.
“We constantly monitor our overall footprint and try to work efficiently and economically, incorporating initiatives such as composting organic waste, responsible disposal of used cooking oil, and use of water and electricity, monitoring paper usage, and vehicle use,” Louw points out, indicating that environmental issues are their other priority.
The company is committed to social upliftment and is involved with Thusong Youth Centre, employing youth from Bramleyview and Alexandra.
“We’ve also identified young people from our Ennerdale community for mentoring and training in factory operations, and we support waste traders in the factory environment, setting aside recyclable waste for the traders to collect and sell,” he says.
Future plans include continuing along the path of the strong growth trajectory that the business is on, but Louw recognises that the time has come to consolidate and build a stronger foundation, saying they aim to ensure that their business is sustainable for a long time. “We see no reason why we can’t eventually grow into an iconic South African brand such as Nando’s or RocoMamas.” Sumting Fresh joined Tsogo Sun Entrepreneurs in 2016 after attending a Supplier Showcase. “The learnings have been helpful within the business and personally. In the past, we were so often reactionary, but we’ve now implemented a strategy and we’re proactively operating with an overall vision in mind. The tools are taking us to the next level of growth and we are on a good track to sustainable growth.” He says being validated within the entrepreneur community was very encouraging, as was being recognised as a business. “The feedback, support and guidance from other entrepreneurs made me feel empowered. The coaching too has been valuable. When times have become tough, I’ve gone back to the coaching and used the tools for a better outcome.”
We’ve always made sure that we offer consistently good quality food. People love us for our food and for the fact that we are adamant about serving people with a smile and food full of love. Hezron Louw Partner, Sumting Fresh