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We talk to serial entrepreneur George Sinovich about running a successful hospitality and restaurant empire and what he’s learnt along the way
Business advice from serial entrepreneur george Sinovich
Enjoy what you do: passion and hard work always win
GQ: What is your background? George Sinovich: Like most men my age, I went to the army in the eighties, but I also got my degree in Business from Wits University. Mostly, I learnt a lot from my father, who had a transport company that I joined a er varsity. We had a small refrigerated truck and landed a contract to transport fresh sh from Gansbaai to Jo’burg.
GQ: You have various hospitality businesses.
How did this all start?
GS: Seeing a great opportunity in the fresh- sh market, I took the plunge and opened a wholesale
sh depot in Jo’burg with a retail deli section. is was so popular that I wanted to bring the concept to other parts of the city, which is when I opened the second retail Fisherman’s Deli store in Village Walk. It proved to be a huge success with loads of demand. I was supplying to restaurants all around and saw the gap to launch
a specialist shop myself. is is when e Codfather sh shop was born in Morningside.
We progressed to opening a sushi bar and a grill section in the sh shop, and that is why
e Codfather restaurant still has a section where sh is sold on weight. From the sh shop, I opened a few restaurants and sushi bars in Jo’burg and Cape Town, all based on sh and seafood. I also purchased the properties, as I have always believed that the only truly successful people in food were McDonalds, and this is because they bought the properties from where to sell their hamburgers.
GQ: You recently made a big acquisition with the Riboville hotel in Waterfall Equestrian Estate. What attracted you to the property?
GS: Waterfall is ideally situated in a fast-growing area. We love that the equestrian centre has a relaxed country feel, while actually being situated only minutes from the Sandton CBD.
e equestrian setting, the unique design of the building and the ability to expand attracted me. e possibilities are endless, with huge potential to develop the site to better host functions, conferences, events and launches.
GQ: What is on the horizon for you?
GS: We have two other restaurants in the Sandton area, namely e Codfather at Sandton Skye and a brand new restaurant and attached accommodation, Bowl’d at Masingita, which opened in October. Both o er restaurants and accommodation, and the Masingita establishment will also bring a fresh new o ering in the form of specialist conference facilities, o ce pods and a huge garden setting.
We will have the ability to o er a unique experience where guests could have dinner at Codfather, followed by drinks at Bowl’d, followed by an overnight stay in the 5-star hotel Riboville in the nearby countryside. We intend to o er a variety of tailored packages, all with transportation in our own shuttles.
We also have plans to expand our properties and o erings to include a game farm and a seaside resort, enabling us to o er guests a complete package deal.
GQ: What keeps you going? GS: I have a desire to build a large property portfolio, so I love opening more hospitality outlets. e designing, concept, and roll-out excites me. Trying to stay relevant and hopefully evolve so that we are never le behind excites me, too. Hospitality can be demanding, but it is very satisfying seeing people enjoying themselves in one of your establishments.
GQ: What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs who want to go into the hospitality industry?
GS: I have made many good decisions, but have also had many failures. I have gone from riches to rags and vice versa, but I have never been afraid of taking a chance. More than half of the crazy risks have paid o and I would advise any young entrepreneur to not be afraid to take that leap of faith – the rewards are there. Most importantly, I believe that one must get up again and again when something fails. Enjoy what you do: passion and hard work always win.