The two men who launched the first ultra-luxury petrol station in South Africa

David Higgs and Gary Kyriacou, the men behind high-end restaurants Marble, Saint, and Zioux, created South Africa’s first ultra-luxury petrol station, Pantry by Marble.

David Higgs is a celebrity chef, successful restaurateur, and judge on the show My Kitchen Rules.

His high profile belies that he comes from humble beginnings, cooking breakfasts in a small hotel.

Higgs’ love for food and cooking led him to co-found a catering company, which allowed him to hone his skills.

In 1993, he won the Young Chef of South Africa title and became a member of the South African National Culinary Team.

Today, he is one of South Africa’s most influential names in food and hospitality. Higgs is known for his love of food, art, wine and a good braai.

Gary Kyriacou started his career in the family business, opening and operating several Spar Supermarkets as director of retail and commercial development.

Following his successes in the family business, Kyriacou moved on to other ventures, which included co-owning a printing company and co-founding the coffee establishment Lulu.

Over his 20-year career, he owned several other retail properties and was involved in the hospitality program for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

He also acquired shares in the South African division of Century 21, the world’s largest real estate company. Through Century 21, Kyriacou met Higgs.

Higgs bought a house through Century 21, and his agent asked him if he would be open to chatting with his director, Kyriacou, who wanted to open a restaurant.

Initially, Higgs was sceptical, as he had met many people who wanted to open restaurants but lacked a solid plan or the endurance needed for that kind of venture.

However, Kyriacou presented Higgs with a comprehensive plan for a high-end restaurant called Marble.

“It was clear from the get-go that Gary knew exactly what he wanted.” Higgs agreed to the plan but insisted that Kyriacou be in with him.

After half an hour of talking, they each agreed, and Marble was born. “It was that simple,” he said.

Marble, Saint, and Zioux

Kyriacou and Higgs’ partnership started by launching Marble, one of the most successful high-end restaurants in South Africa.

“Marble embodies South Africans’ love of cooking with fire, a quality that makes our food culture different from the rest of the world,” said Higgs.

The restaurant is situated in Keyes Art Mile, the growing art and food hub of Rosebank, and boasts a grand wood-fired grill imported from Grill Works in Michigan.

The concept combines the open-fire trend, seen internationally, with an added pinch of true South African flair.

“We have long been fascinated by what makes South African cuisine unique, and we believe it’s down to being meat and flame enthusiasts,” he said.

The two men are also behind two other high-end restaurants, the Asian restaurant Zioux and Saint, an Italian restaurant and bar in Sandton.

These two restaurants have won numerous awards and have become known for their excellent food and ambiance.

Saint won the EatOut Style Awards in 2018 and won the American Express Members Choice Award in 2019.

Zioux was a winner in the 2025 Eat Out Woolworths Restaurant Awards and won the Style Award in the 2022 Hosco Annual Luxe Restaurant Awards.

In January 2025, Marble Cape Town, located at the iconic V&A Waterfront, officially opened its doors.

“The concept of live-fire cooking may not be new anymore, but the way we do it at Marble is always a fresh experience,” said Head Chef Matt van Niekerk.

“Fire has a way of bringing people together. It’s where stories are shared, ideas come to life, and connections are made.”

Pantry by Marble

Higgs and Kyriacou were on a high after the success of Marble, launched in 2016, and Saint in Sandton, launched in 2018.

However, disaster struck for the South African restaurant industry when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and lockdown rules shut all restaurants.

The two founders knew they needed to develop a new business concept resilient to such events and protect their investment.

They settled on an unexpected idea for their other business venture: a high-end petrol station forecourt.

“People might find it strange, but it was our next logical step. We found ourselves very exposed during lockdown in the restaurant space,” Higgs said.

They came up with five different concepts of what they could do if this happened again or the pandemic didn’t go away quickly.

“One of the most important things that we wanted to do was to bring the hospitality feel back into the grocer,” Higgs said.

Essentially, the concept was a luxury forecourt that offers wines, grab-and-go meals, local produce, good coffee, and baked goods.

Everything, down to the music, was carefully curated to ensure customers had an excellent experience.

On top of this, it is open 24 hours a day, and chefs and restaurant managers are in-store to help customers with their queries.

One major hurdle the pair faced when opening the Pantry was that they didn’t have a retail license for petrol sales yet, meaning they couldn’t make any petrol sales.

“We opened the first two months without selling one litre of petrol, so we opened the convenience shop before the petrol started. It worked out,” Kyriacou said.

It worked so well that they struggled to keep up with how fast products flew off the shelves since the Pantry took off so quickly.

As a result, they had to rethink the business structure and staffing to ensure the business could operate smoothly.

Higgs and Kyriacou are constantly sourcing new products, rearranging items to increase sales, and ensuring the experience improves daily.

“The important thing is when people walk into any of those stores, they know it’s us,” Higgs said.

“When you walk into a space, you know it’s the Marble group or the Marble hospitality. That’s a given.”

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Pantry by Marble photos

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