BACKGROUND: Three years ago, the Piatto MK Holdings Group, who operate and own over 22 restaurants throughout South Africa including the Piatto Mediterranean Kitchen, The Centre Court, Circus Circus and Vilamoura restaurant groups decided to investigate a potential gap in the market. It was believed that there was no formal ‘meat’ take away offering in the market in South Africa. Take away outlets all offered a variety of chicken dishes and none of them were offering any traditionally South African food. Competition was fierce in the chicken take away category, and we were anxious to break away from this, and introduce a truly unique South African take away. Once the gap had been identified, we began working towards developing a brand that would communicate a meaningful message to this market segment, one that each and every potential customer could get excited about, and one that offered relevance to their lifestyles.