Spur founder Allen Ambor retires

Ambor opened the first Spur in Newlands, Cape Town in 1967. He opened a second restaurant, Seven Spur in Sea Point, before deciding that franchising was the best option to grow the business.

Soon came the introduction of additional restaurant brands, and today, the Spur Corporation houses The Hussar Grill, RocoMamas, John Dory’s Fish Grill Sushi and Casa Bella under its umbrella.

Ambor served as executive chairman of the Spur Corporation board since the company's listing on the JSE in 1986.

"He has overseen the growth of the business from a single outlet to a multibrand franchisor with over 600 restaurants in SA and internationally," group CEO Pierre van Tonder said when Ambor's retirement was announced.

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Outside of his Spur duties, Ambor also worked as a yoga teacher at Virgin Active and dabbled in acting.

When it was announced last year that Ambor would be retiring, the Spur founder commented that it would be a challenge to find new interests. “I am not someone who likes to do little and I enjoy creative work,” he said.