Natasha Sideris turned her love of people and an upbringing in the food business into tashas, one the most successful restaurant chains South Africa has seen in years.
She borrowed money from loan sharks to get the first restaurant started, and ended up working 14 hours a day for 4 – 5 months without a day off to repay them.
After the first month of operation, she instinctively knew the concept was a winner. Natasha opened the first tashas 17 years ago at Sandton’s Atholl Square — Today, there’s 18 chains in South Africa, and 8 in United Arab Emirates, with plans to launch in other locations too.
Natasha’s uncanny ability to adapt each tashas based on its location and market, was the key to the brand’s success over the years.
BACKGROUND
Natasha Sideris comes from a long line of food lovers, passionate home cooks and chefs — she’s been in the food business for most of her life.
She worked part-time at her father’s Fishmonger restaurant in Joburg, while at the same time, studying Psychology at the University of Witwatersrand. After spending time working in the fast food industry, she realized it just wasn’t for her.
She then went to work at Nino’s, an Italian-style restaurant franchise, helping the company open 12 new restaurants. In 2001, she bought her own branch of Nino’s with help from her family, and the bank.
After spending 4 years running her Nino’s branch, she realized that all the market had to offer were themed restaurants and big chains — this is where the idea for tashas was born.
“It was because of my experience at Nino’s that I realized there was such a gap in the South African market for this style of restaurant.”
Her vision was clear from the get-go, she wanted something authentic, old school, with good fresh food — she just needed the money to kick it off.
It wasn’t easy to finance the first tashas, she found herself in front of a loan shark, leaving with less than what she needed but more in debt than she was prepared for.
Imagine what would’ve happened had the eatery not been a hit….
Anyways, after the first month of running the first tashas, she instinctively knew she had a hit. She then turned her Nino’s branch into another Tashas. During that time, she didn’t draw a salary for almost two-and-a-half years.
FAMOUS BRANDS
In July 2008, Famous Brands — a food services holding company that houses some of South Africa’s best known fast food franchises — acquired a 51% controlling stake in tashas.
When she went into business with Famous Brands, it seemed an unlikely relationship to many because the company was known to be a mass producer while tashas was niche orientated.
But Natasha saw it differently when she signed the deal, although Famous Brands controlled tashas, she still maintained creative control of her baby.
In the end, the relationship between the two became a fruitful one, as a total of 26 tashas were replicated in South Africa(18), and UAE(8).
TWO FAMOUS BRANDS GO THROUGH A DIVORCE….
In August 2020, Famous Brands announced the sale of its 51% controlling stake in tashas back to the Sideris family.
The sale was in line with the company’s 3 year-strategic plan, which included a narrower focus of investment of resources in the signature brands portfolio.
“It did work out with Famous Brands — from an operational point of view, I’ve always ran the business.
They recognised their role had come to an end… Nothing bad happened… A positive deal for both of us.”
ADVICE TO ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS….
“Sacrifice. You have to accept the sacrifice. There will be days where you’ll think “what am I doing? … Is it all worth it” because you’re not seeing the money coming in or you’re not getting the reward.
You have to be able say “I am prepared to sacrifice a lot because I love what I’m doing” and I think that’s probably the biggest piece of advice.”
