From Supermarket to Ultra-Luxury
A new profile details the rise of Gary Kyriacou, who went from working at a SPAR supermarket to building an empire of ultra-luxury brands like Marble and Zioux. His story offers insights into the principles of creating and scaling elite hospitality ventures.
Gary Kyriacou's journey into luxury hospitality was driven by a perceived gap in the Johannesburg market for large-format, experiential dining that offered more than just a meal. Before co-founding the Marble Group, he honed his understanding of retail and logistics through his family's SPAR supermarket business and later managed hospitality for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. This background gave him a unique perspective on service, ambiance, and branding, which he applied to his subsequent ventures. The partnership with celebrity chef David Higgs was pivotal. Kyriacou approached Higgs with a fully formed concept for Marble, their first restaurant, which immediately attracted thousands of bookings before it even opened in 2016. The core idea was to create a "theatre of experience" centered around open-flame cooking, a concept that celebrates the South African tradition of "braai." Marble offers private dining rooms for 10-16 guests, catering to the demand for exclusivity. Their follow-up, Zioux, was conceived to redefine luxury in a post-pandemic world, moving away from stiff formality to a more playful and glamorous "break-free" space. This approach to design and atmosphere was recognized when Zioux won an award for its interior design. The Marble Group emphasizes creating a "homely feeling" and values the "human touch" over automated interactions, a principle that extends from personal greetings to follow-up calls about reservations. The "ultra-luxury petrol station" concept, The Pantry by Marble, was a strategic pivot during the COVID-19 pandemic. The idea was to bring a hospitality feel to a retail environment, essentially creating a convenience store that sells petrol, not the other way around. The Pantry offers gourmet grab-and-go meals, artisanal products, and even has chefs and restaurant managers on hand to assist customers, operating 24 hours a day. The Marble Group is now in a significant expansion phase. After opening a second Marble restaurant in Cape Town, the group is developing a 32-room, five-star hotel in Sandton's prestigious Olympus development. This R1.7 billion mixed-use project has already generated over R1.2 billion in sales, indicating strong market confidence. Kyriacou's vision is to translate the same level of detail and experiential approach from his restaurants to the luxury accommodation sector.
