It’s always good to see local lads and lasses taking their businesses to the next level and representing overseas, which is why the fact that Chesa Nyama is about to take the U.S. by storm is pretty sweet news.

The folks of Nashville, Tennessee will be the first Yankee guinea pigs, a sit down store due to open in the city by the end of October this year. eNCA reports:

…the braai brand owners, Gold Brands, [have] struck a deal with the an American investment company…

Gold Brands announced in a cautionary on Tuesday that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with private investors, South African-based industrial holdings firm Red Hornbill and the White Family Partnership – an American-based partner – to take the South African traditional braai franchise to the US market.

In a statement on Tuesday, Gold Brands chief executive, Stelio Nathanael said: “We have long had a dream of taking Chesa Nyama beyond the borders of Africa. The idea has always been to bring our iconic South African braai culture to America.”

Chesa Nyama is one of South Africa’s fastest-growing fast food outlets, with about 300 franchise shops employing over 3,000 people. Due to this growth, Gold Brands this year listed on the JSE.

A little more on the humble beginnings of the business from Getbiz:

Its founders, Stelio Nathanael (MD) and Praxia Nathanael (CEO), are well versed in the food industry, with Stelio having been involved in the food game since he was 16.

When Stelio started Chesa Nyama in Wits University in Johannesburg in February 2012 as a flamed grilled meat takeaway franchise, he said the concept was based on the premise that South Africans are meat lovers with a word for it “braai-mania”.

“I noticed that the grilled meat market was very informal and the fast food industry didn’t cater towards the niche market of proper flame-grilled meat – it was burgers, pizza or chicken…

Spotted a gap and went for it – now it’s time to conquer the American market. Given their love of eating you wouldn’t bet against the braai franchise…

[sources:enca&getbiz]