A new restaurant chain specialising in authentic Mexican, Brazilian and other South American food and cocktails, is coming to Johannesburg in June, with Gold Brands bringing the UK midmarket restaurant brand Las Iguanas to the local market.

“South Africans are always hungry for new places to dine, and Las Iguanas will fill the gap with this fantastic, well established concept,” said South Africa’s only AltX-listed fast food retail company Gold Brands COO Stelio Nathanael.

He added that fewer South Africans could afford to spend money on indulgent holidays, which translated to more money being spent on dining. “Casual dining is becoming increasingly popular in South Africa, and Gold Brands is excited to be part of this booming market.”

Las Iguanas will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week, with specials added daily. Its food menu draws inspiration from exciting flavours across South America, featuring a large range of tacos, alongside a selection of Mexican classics and tapas-style small plates, besides other favourites. Its Buenos Aires burger also won the UK Casual Dining Magazine National Burger Award in 2017.

A bespoke children’s menu is also available, which has been designed with Aardman Animations – the animation company behind Wallace & Gromit and Chicken Run.

"The idea behind the brand was to create a fun, happy place that made people feel good about themselves and life in general. Twenty-five years down the line, it’s still doing just that,” said Las Iguanas MD Mos Shamel.

Gold Brands was established in 2012 and has become one of the leading franchise companies, having ChesaNyama, Blacksteer, 1+1 Pizza Pasta, Opa!Pitaland and Chicken Wild Wings under its belt.

The company has also added top UK brands from the casual dining group to its portfolio, including Café Rouge, Belgo and Bella Italia.