Roman's Pizza
 | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa |
Number of locations | 250 (2018)[1] |
Area served | Southern Africa |
| Key people | Ioannis Nicolakakis (CEO) |
| Products |
|
| Website | romanspizza |
Roman's Pizza, sometimes simply referred to as Roman's, is a South African pizza franchise, founded in 1993, and headquartered in Centurion, Gauteng.
As of 2024, the company operates over 250 outlets across Southern Africa.[2]
History
[edit]Roman's Pizza was established by Arthur Nicolakakis in 1993, originally under the name "Little Caesar’s". In 2002, the company rebranded to Roman's Pizza.[3]
Ioannis (John) Nicolakakis, the founder's son, joined in 2001 and later became CEO, overseeing a period of growth and operational expansion.[3]
CEO John Nicolakakis received the Young Business Leader of the Year (Southern Africa) award at the 2015 All Africa Business Leaders Awards.[3] In 2016, the company won Brand Builder of the Year from the Franchise Association of South Africa.[4]
Between the period 2019 and 2022 Ioannis Niccolkakis was removed as CEO and replaced by Bonnie Cooper
In early 2024 all Romans Pizza's stores in Zambia were promptly shut down [5]
Operations
[edit]The business operates on a franchising model, with store formats including both takeaway and sit-down options. Roman's Pizza has expanded to neighbouring countries, including Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia.[6]
Menu
[edit]Roman's Pizza serves pizza with a choice of pan or traditional crust. The menu includes pizza, pasta, pizza pies, garlic bread, salads, and combo offerings. A well-known sales feature is the pricing of two pizzas together as one item.[6]
Media coverage
[edit]In 2024, Roman's Pizza received the highest score in a comparative taste test of major South African pizza chains conducted by BusinessTech.[2]
The brand has run advertising campaigns featuring South African public figures such as Barry Hilton and Alfred Ntombela.[7]
Controversies
[edit]In 2024 Romans Pizza is accused on Social Media of cleaning and reusing pizza boxes [8]
In 2023, Romans Pizza and CEO Ioanis Nicolakakis lost high court case against former COO Basil Kassimatis and is accused of corporate bullying [9]
In 2019, a business linked to CEO Ioanis Nicolakakis supplying cheese to Romans Pizza was accused of environmental damage [10]
In 2018, a recording of CEO Ioannis (John / Yanis) Nicolakakis making remarks about competing chains was published by HuffPost South Africa.[11][12]
In 2016 ASA rules against Romans Pizza for using references to Famous Brands Hot or Not Dot [13]
In 2015, the company paid R200,000 to settle a complaint related to franchise compliance with religious dietary guidelines.[14]
References
[edit]- ↑ Staff Writer. "Top 20 fast food franchises that make the most money in South Africa". BusinessTech. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
- 1 2 "We taste-tested South Africa's top pizza chains – and the winner was clear". BusinessTech. 26 July 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- 1 2 3 von Moltke-Todd, Nadine (28 October 2016). "How Roman's Pizza Got A Great Big Slice of Success (Over R1 Billion Of It)". Entrepreneur South Africa. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ↑ "Roman's Pizza Franchise". Franchise Association of South Africa. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ↑ "Reddit - Please wait for verification". www.reddit.com. Retrieved 2026-06-12.
- 1 2 "SA Franchise Brands: Roman's Pizza". SA Franchise Brands. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ↑ "Roman's Pizza campaign pays tribute to advertising legends". The Media Online. 7 December 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ↑ "Roman's Pizza to probe viral video of employee apparently cleaning used pizza boxes, allegedly for reuse". TimesLIVE. 2024-09-12. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
- ↑ "IMPORTANT VICTORY FOR ROMANS PIZZA FRANCHISEE AS JHB HIGH COURT PREVENTS CLOSURE OF FOUR ROMANS PIZZA STORES". Novus Press Bulletin. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
- ↑ Raju, Fred Kockott and PS. "Why this highly lucrative dairy operation is under scrutiny by authorities". News24. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
- ↑ "Roman's Pizza CEO Allegedly Threatens To 'Burn Down' Competitors". HuffPost South Africa. 8 June 2018. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ↑ Stone, Jasmine (2018-06-08). ""I'll Put Your Family On The Street, Boet" - Roman's Pizza CEO's Insane Threats To Rival [Audio]". 2oceansvibe News | South African and international news. Retrieved 2026-06-12.
- ↑ "Not‚ says ASA to Roman's Pizza hot dot – it belongs to Debonairs". Sowetan. 2016-12-10. Retrieved 2026-06-11.
- ↑ "Pizza franchise pays R200k over Halal refusal". IOL. 5 November 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2025.