Former McDonald’s South Africa CEO Greg Solomon has been appointed to lead Pantry by Marble as the premium food retailer prepares for a major expansion.
Solomon joins Pantry after 29 years at McDonald’s South Africa, including 15 years as CEO, bringing extensive experience in scaling a retail network.
His arrival comes as Pantry targets 10 locations in Johannesburg by the end of 2027, before expanding into other regions.
From McDonald’s to Pantry by Marble
During Solomon’s tenure at McDonald’s South Africa, the group added around 230 restaurants, growing its local network to more than 400.
He now faces a different challenge at Pantry.
Founded by chef David Higgs and restaurateurs Gary Kyriacou and Dino Constantinou of the Marble Group, Pantry has built its reputation around being different from a conventional convenience store.
The first Pantry opened on a Rosebank forecourt in 2022.
Describing itself as a “new generation grocer”, the retailer combines groceries and fresh produce with baked goods, prepared meals, coffee and chef-led food.
Pantry plans 10 Johannesburg locations by end of 2027
Pantry currently trades from Rosebank, Bassonia and Hazelwood, with a Fourways store due to open this month.
A 1,300m² standalone store near Mall of Africa is planned for 2027.
The longer-term target is to have 10 Pantry locations operating across Johannesburg by the end of 2027 before taking the concept into other regions.
Solomon’s immediate focus will be on building the systems needed to support that growth.
His priorities include stronger systems, training, supply-chain capacity and greater standardisation in Pantry’s central kitchen.
But he says expansion must be carefully managed.
“Fast change and scale need discipline,” he said, adding that growth cannot come at the expense of Pantry’s character and culture.
With demand for the brand already strong, Solomon said deciding where not to expand could prove just as important as choosing where to open.
“The hardest part will be saying no.”
Scaling Pantry without losing what makes it different
That challenge is also recognised by Pantry’s founders.
Constantinou said the opportunity was to take the concept into more neighbourhoods “without diluting what makes the brand special”.
Pantry’s appeal is built partly around stores feeling curated and individual, while expanding a retail network requires consistency and repeatable systems.
The business already operates across several formats, including forecourt stores, standalone outlets and mall pop-ups, adding another layer to the challenge of developing a single operating model.
At McDonald’s, Solomon expanded a network operating within a global system refined over decades.
At Pantry, the task is different: building the systems required to grow a young South African retail concept while protecting the chef-led character that helped establish the brand in the first place.
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