Pizza Fair The Beginnings
Dairy Den – Pick n Chicken – Burger Fair – Pizza Fair
1968 – The Sixties
The Pizza Fair Journey started way back in the late 60s when Antony and his buddies had their first hamburger, chips n coke, Roadhouse style, right here at the Dairy Den but in a very different undeveloped and rural Constantia and so the family’s 50-year-plus adventure into the fast food business began.
Frequently visiting his favorite hang-out and borne into the hotel business with his father running one of Cape Town’s 5-Star establishments, Antony became subconsciously attached to a dream that was taking shape slowly, and surely.
1970 – The Seventies
Keeping up with trends, Southern Fried Chicken in a basket became a hot seller under a newly branded ‘Pickin Chicken’ and though delicious, nothing could top its famed Choc ‘99 sales on those weekend afternoons after a visit to the beach.
During the 80s, and the early 90s
After working in a variety of hotel, catering, and trading fields, Antony bought into Captain Dorego his first leap into the fast food business and within a few years this ‘fish n chip’ franchise had over 40 outlets and was ultimately listed on the JSE under the Interleisure banner, with Ster Kinekor and other famous food brands.
1991 – The nineties and beyond…
By now The Dairy Den had changed from Pick n Chicken to Burger Fair now specializing in flipping burgers, chips, and soft drinks. One’s food order was served by a waitress to your car, parked in a parking lot outside the restaurant. This worked well in summer, however, with the inclement Cape winters, food frequently ended up two cars down, or on many occasions, some enterprising fellow would drive off with the food tray still attached.
Due to over-expansion, more competition, and new ownership, the struggling business came on the market (together with Constantia Neck Restaurant) and those fond childhood memories motivated Antony to purchase the Burger Fair group.
Within 12 months we said goodbye to Burger Fair and its cranky old roadhouse ways and hello to a fresh new pizza takeaway to lift off where the Dairy Den landed.
1995 –
Managers came and went until Sreten Popovac knocked on the door having escaped the conflict in Croatia and contributing to the development and success of what today is known as Pizza Fair at the Old Constantia Village.
Sadly after 27 years due to the ill health of his wife, Sreten decided to return to his homeland of Serbia. His famed pizzas outlasted the many rivals including the high-profile nemesis, St Elmo’s, which since disappeared.
2022 –
And so a new star was borne. Hello Marius, who joins the Pizza Fair family having bought into the business after the shop’s rocky patch since Sreten’s departure
Marius has been part of the hospitality industry in various capacities for the past 33 years. It was decided that Pizza Fair should once again morph. It was time to prepare Pizza Fair for the next part of its journey and lay the foundations for the coming 30 years.
The shop, one of Constantia’s oldest 2 independent tenants (over 30 years) with Porter Motors – has been refurbished, refitted, and digitalized in keeping up with the times.
We look forward to bringing back some of the old-fashioned values with affordable weekday specials, ensuring the food standard and quality, and most important of all treating all our valued customers as FAMILY!!