Scooter’s Pizza Returns: The Comeback of South Africa’s 39-Minute Pizza Legend

Scooter’s Pizza Returns to South Africa

The 39-minute pizza promise is back and so is a slice of nostalgia.

Nearly a decade after vanishing from South Africa’s fast-food scene, Scooter’s Pizza is making a comeback. The beloved homegrown brand relaunched on Tuesday, 21 October 2025, with its first new store opening in Melville, Johannesburg.

For many South Africans, this return feels like a throwback to the early 2000s when ordering a pizza from Scooters meant one thing: 39 minutes or it’s free. That bold promise set it apart, earning the brand a loyal following before it disappeared under Taste Holdings’ ill-fated move to bring Domino’s Pizza into the country.

A Local Classic That Fizzled Too Soon

Founded in 2000 by Carlo Gonzaga, Scooter’s Pizza grew at lightning speed. The brand’s mix of fast delivery, fun marketing, and community appeal helped it expand to over 100 stores by 2006, making it the fastest-growing pizza chain in South Africa at the time.

But when Taste Holdings Scooter’s parent company acquired the Domino’s licence in 2014, the tables turned. Scooters outlets were swiftly rebranded as Domino’s stores, and by 2016, the once-iconic brand had completely disappeared.

Ironically, Domino’s couldn’t hold its own either. By 2020, Taste Holdings exited the food industry altogether, and its assets were liquidated.

The Man Behind the Revival

Enter Juan Engelbrecht, a veteran entrepreneur and franchise expert who helped establish some of the first Scooter’s outlets in the Western Cape in the early 2000s. Through his company, 1st Choice Business Brokers & Franchising, Engelbrecht has now acquired and revived the brand.

He’s no stranger to South Africa’s food industry, having played roles in developing other well-known franchises like Jimmy’s Killer Prawns and Wiesenhof Coffees.

“I saw people still asking about Scooters years after it disappeared,” Engelbrecht said. “The brand clearly never lost its flavour.”

A Fresh Slice of the Future

The new Scooter’s Pizza in Melville will bring back the famous 39-minute delivery promise, alongside modern promotions and an “all-you-can-eat 39-minute challenge” for launch week.

The brand’s strategy is to grow through franchising, just like it did in its glory days with Engelbrecht inviting new franchisees to help take Scooter’s national once more.

Still, it’s no small task. South Africa’s fast-food landscape is crowded with heavyweights like Debonairs, Roman’s Pizza, and Pizza Perfect, not to mention global giants like Pizza Hut.

But the nostalgia factor could be Scooter’s secret ingredient. On social media, longtime fans have already started celebrating the brand’s return. “Scooters was my childhood Friday-night pizza,” one X (formerly Twitter) user posted. “Can’t wait to taste that again.”

Why This Comeback Matters

For many, Scooter’s return is more than just a new pizza joint opening, it’s the revival of a piece of South African fast-food culture. The brand represents an era when local innovation went head-to-head with international chains and proved it could win.

If Engelbrecht can capture that same spirit, quick service, local pride, and good pizza, Scooter’s Pizza might just deliver another success story, 39 minutes at a time.

Scooter’s Pizza is back, starting in Melville, Johannesburg. Expect the same fast delivery, fresh flavours, and the legendary “39 minutes or it’s free” guarantee. For South Africans craving a taste of the past, it’s officially pizza time again.

Sourced: BusinessTech

Sourced: BusinessTech

{Source: BusinessTech}

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