South Africa's famous restaurant Spur Steak Ranches opens in Dubai

"After a number of visits to the UAE and Dubai, we were fortunate enough to be introduced to the AMA Group, who showed the same tenacity and enthusiasm for our brand and shared the same business philosophy in ensuring a successful launch into this region," said Pierre Van Tonder, Managing Director, Spur Corporation.

The first restaurant opened in Dubai Festival City, on the skywalk level. The official launch took place on the 14th of January with H.E. Sami Dhaen Al Qamzi, Director General of the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) & world class South African Cricketer, David Richardson wishing the new venture success for the future. Over 100 VIP guests attended the much-anticipated ceremony.

Spur Corporation, a multi-brand family restaurant franchisor, comprising of over 300 Spur Steak Ranches, Panarottis Pizza Pasta and John Dory's Fish & Grill restaurants, is growing from strength to strength. This group started trading 42 years ago and has since expanded into 13 countries around the world. The UAE is the latest market to welcome Spur.

Spur is a distinctly family orientated brand, with its major focus being on the smaller members of the 'tribe'. Spur founder and executive chairman, Allen Ambor, first established the company's reputation for delicious, value-for-money food, in a family-friendly environment, when he opened his first restaurant in Newlands, Cape Town in 1967.

"Spur has a philosophy within its DNA of embracing family values and interaction in a dining experience, which makes it a unique proposition from a restaurant perspective. It is not only about looking after children, but the overall conduct of how your brand integrates itself into the family dining experience." It is for this reason, Pierre Van Tonder & Abdulla Alashram believed the Spur brand had enormous potential in this market. It is in keeping with the local and expatriate lifestyle in the region.

A restaurant that started back in the 60's has had to evolve to stay abreast of current trends. Spur is conscious of the health and well-being of its customers. For this reason Spur's menu offers a variety of "heart smart" choices. The Spur menu includes juicy top quality beef burgers, steaks and ribs, Spur's famous Salad Valley, as well as chicken, seafood and vegetarian options. There are also special deals, offering excellent value for money.

Abdulrahman Abu Alrub, CEO of AMA General Trading, says, "Spur is an institution in South Africa and we hope to create the same in the GCC. With the strong brand positioning and its loyal following, there is no reason we should not achieve this."