Rocomamas, on their website, claim that their burger is the most instagrammed burger in South Africa. This post is not for arguing for or against that. This is a South African brand, that tells the story of us, and our multi coloured features for me. We're a passionate people... We make good quality products... We're creative, and hustlers... We're worldly, aspirational, and know how to adopt and adapt!
Rocomamas is more than just a burger joint. They use words like Fast Casual, a phrase I hear used in America, to refer to the in between eating experience which is above the unhealthy thought of Fast Food (Take Aways) but not quite the pricy, white table cloth fine dining. So you can take your wife and kids (or husband and kids if you are female), go sit down and have a good food experience. Awesome, quality food, where there is value but your wallet does not feel like it went through the meat grinder.
I have only had the pleasure of eating their smashburger. I have not tried their ribs or wings, but seeing the effort and thought that has gone into the smashburger, the restaurant, the people and the brand experience, I am willing to bet that the ribs and wings are top class.
The first time I tried one of their burgers, was in Rivonia. I promised the kids that next time they're in Joburg, I would take them to the best burger joint in South Africa. Being a man of my word, when they were up here recently, I delivered on my promise. It was fun seeing how excited they got, as well as confused, as they were choosing ingredients to create their own burger. They approved of the meal, going on about which of their friends in Cape Town would love this burger.
I'm not sure when the chain came to market, I am told it was October 2014. Yet, they are always packed when I go there (Rivonia or Randburg), but it flows, you don't wait there starving. The Randburg restaurant has gas heaters, so sitting out there, with the screens and heaters does not take away the cosy effect of the restaurant. Here is a world class South African brand, and I don't see any media reports!
With everyone getting excited about Starbucks coming to South Africa, I couldn't help but chuckle. I think Starbucks is a fantastic brand, but their coffee is very ordinary. Maybe it is clever bringing the Starbucks brand to Joburg, as the coffee snobs are mostly in Cape Town. I am sure for every person that is excited about Starbucks coming, I can find you two people in Cape Town, turning their nose up, and saying how Truth Coffee is a coffee brew worth discussing, or one of the many other South African coffee brand experiences.
Rocomamas, earlier this week, had me as a demonstration of the value of a brand. My attraction to Rocomamas is not a function of large marketing budgets, or aspiring to have what the rest of the world has to offer, while looking down on what South Africa has to offer. We make great food here! Whether it's the fast food category, I find Chicken Licken a much more exciting biting than the finger licking good KFC. Our restaurants are top class, whether you are in Jozi, Durban or Cape Town, and that list is endless.
Rocomamas, in true South African hustler fashion, have already made the loadshedding problem a non issue for their restaurants. They have back up generators. How I know is, after a long day at the office earlier this week, I got home to cook, and just then, being at Stage 2 loadshedding, the lights went out. It was 18h30, so waiting until 22h00 was not an option. I called Rocomamas, and I could hear activity in the background, which was a good sign for me. "Have you got electricity?" I asked. "NO, but we have a generator..." The friendly voice replied. I thanked her, hung up the phone and headed to the car. While a part of me was worried about the traffic to get there, I figured being stuck in a car was going to be better than being stuck in a candle lit apartment anyway. The car has entertainment the apartment doesn't, and the destination is Rocomamas!
I passed McDonalds, Burger King, Steers, and Wimpy along the way. It had never occured to me how many restaurants we have in my area, some the lights were out. My point is, those are all well known burger joints, and they were closer and easier to access. I guess it proves for me that good quality food trumps convenient. After all, a good bottle of wine, and a candle lit dinner has an association with food that has a certain je ne sais quois.
Rocomamas was worth the trip. Add that I had a good laugh with the staff when ordering (that's a different long story), and I found my mood of frustration with the unforeseen loadshedding, calming to an appreciation, thinking and laughing about how we're really not normal in South Africa. We have an abundance of world class products, making for a lifestyle that is aspirational for not only South Africans, but many who visit our shores.
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