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Consumer services · Restaurants and franchising

Spur Steak Ranches

South African family restaurant brand founded by Allen Ambor in Newlands, Cape Town, in 1967.

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Tennesse Spur Steak Ranch restaurant in Kroonstad at night
A Spur Steak Ranch restaurant in Kroonstad, Free State. Photo: Bernard DUPONT / Wikimedia Commons · Source · CC BY-SA 2.0, resized and converted to WebP

Spur Steak Ranches is the restaurant brand that began with Allen Ambor’s first Newlands restaurant in 1967. [1][5]

History

Ambor opened the first restaurant at age 26. [1]

The brand expanded through a repeatable franchise format supported by the group. [3][4]

The group reported 358 Spur restaurants at 30 June 2026. [2]

Brand and restaurant ownership

Spur Corporation controls the brand system and intellectual property. [2][3]

Independent franchise entrepreneurs own and manage many individual restaurants. [3][4]

Frequently asked questions

Who founded Spur Steak Ranches?

Allen Ambor founded the brand in 1967. [1]

Where did the first Spur open?

It opened in Newlands, Cape Town. [1][5]

Does the parent own every Spur restaurant?

No. Independent franchisees own and manage many restaurants. [3][4]

Key milestones

  1. Allen Ambor opened the first Spur in Newlands. [1][5]

  2. The restaurant business first listed on the JSE. [1]

  3. The group reported 358 Spur restaurants. [2]

Founded / co-founded by

  • Allen Ambor — Founder of Spur Steak Ranches and the executive who led its first five decades.

Related people

Related articles

Related institutions

  • Spur Corporation — JSE-listed South African restaurant franchisor whose operating history began with Allen Ambor’s first Spur in 1967.
  • Panarottis — Pizza and pasta restaurant brand developed by the Spur group in 1990 and operated through its franchise platform.
  • RocoMamas — Restaurant brand in which Spur acquired a 51% interest in 2015, later expanded through the group’s franchise platform.

Sources

  1. Spur Corporation, Our history. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-10. ↩
  2. Spur Corporation, Annual Financial Statements 2026, 2026-06-30. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-10. ↩
  3. Spur Corporation, Business model. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-10. ↩
  4. Spur Corporation, Franchising. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-10. ↩
  5. Spur Corporation, Integrated Report 2018, 2018-06-30. Original source. Accessed 2026-11-10. ↩