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solet H e Y V e g o t
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W
hen we last talked
to the olks at
Ocean Basket,
South Aricas mostpopular seaood restaurant chain,
it was about to celebrate its 15th
birthday a real landmark I think
youll agree.
It marked the occasion in some
style, selling fsh and chips at the
same price it was in 1995 when
Ocean Basket frst opened its doors.
For only R10 customers could
enjoy a rather generous portion!Unsurprisingly perhaps,
77,000
consumers made use o this
remarkable, once-in-a-lietime oer
(I was one).
It was a roaring success.
Television and newspaper ads
were shown one day beore the
promotion to drive up interest.
Twitter and other social media
sites played their part too, withnews spreading like wildfre
(Steers,
please take note).
Steers jokes aside (Im only upset
because I wanted a cheap rib burger),
when we last visited Ocean Basket it
had 133 outlets and it was opening
an average o seven new restaurants
a year.
Fast-orward just over 12 months,
it now has 150 outlets and isexpected to open more by the end
o
the year.
Business has boomed.
And Ocean Basket rode the wave
(excuse the pun).
Growth was driven by demand
overseas and at home, marketing
manager Brendan McGhee says.
Weve expanded our ootprint.
We can be ound across South Aricaand have a presence in several
other
Arican countries, in Zimbabwe,
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Oean Baket fOcus food & agriculture
Zambia and Botswana or
instance, as well as theMiddle East and Europe.
Weve opened a couple
o new outlets in Cyprus and
Dubai International airport
and weve also opened one
in Mauritius and a couple o
outlets in metro areas and
small towns locally.
The act Ocean Basket
continues to grow isremarkable, especially in
light o the economic context
o the last couple o years.
McGhee says the company
saw what was happening
early and developed a
strategy that has not only
seen it through, but has seen
it expand.
We planned in terms o ourkey value items. We have been
communicating to the market
the value and entry-level price
points o great meals, notcheap and nasty meals. We
have been doing this now or
the last couple o years. It has
paid antastic dividends.
Although Ocean Basket
has come a long way it has
never orgotten its initial
promise, McGhee says.
When we frst opened
our doors only a privilegedminority could enjoy seaood.
We made seaood aordable
and havent changed our
pricing strategy since day
one. The key to our success
is simplicity and we arent
overly complicated.
Our message has been
consistent in terms o our
oering value or money.We have invested more
in communications and
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advertising to remain at
the ront o minds and wehavent compromised on
the quality and service. Our
customers have rewarded
us because we have seen
growth in real terms. We
have also seen an interesting
phenomenon where the
top end o the market have
become more value driven
and are shopping down. Theyordinarily wouldnt come to
our stores but now they are.
Ocean Basket is
continually looking at urther
growth throughout the world.
However, it has also worked
hard to drive down set up
costs to make it aordable
to open outlets in smaller
South Arican towns o 60-200,000 populations.
That has planned its
part in the frms continued
expansion, particularly overthe last year.
This is a strategy that we
have pursued and got some
antastic results rom it,
says Mc Ghee. To give you
an example, we opened a
restaurant in Lephalale and
it is doing phenomenally,
paying antastic dividends to
the ranchisee.Things are clearly going very
well or Ocean Basket at the
moment and more expansion is
just around the corner.
We plan to open
something like 22 new outlets
by year-end worldwide. Its
weighted more towards
South Arica, looking or
more opportunities likethose in Lephalale. O course
international expansion
is always appealing. It is
certainly very proftable. Wereexcited by the brands uture.
Yet, no matter how big
it grows, or how many
outlets it opens, Ocean
Basket will not orget its
promise o great tastes and
outstanding prices.
That we will never do
- we will always commit to
that promise o great tastesand great prices, says
Mc Ghee, who adds that
in every Ocean Basket, no
matter in the world it is, you
will fnd the same ormula
or success - simplicity,
value or money and quality
seaood served piping hot
rom the pan.
To learn more visit
www.oceanbasket.co.za. END
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7/31/2019 Ocean Basket Individual Feature
6/6
Ascot ParkRichards Drive
MidrandTel: 116551300Email: [email protected]
www.ocean basket.com
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ENQuIRIEstphn: +44 (0) 1603 343367fx: +44 (0)1603
[email protected]
suBscRIPTIONsc: +44 (0)1603 [email protected]
www.othariamag.om
