Durban North OK Foods owner eyes further franchise stores

The owner of OK Foods Rinaldo Road in Durban North is discussing expansion with the OK team after three consecutive years of store growth. Leonel Luizinho also hopes to add two or three more OK Franchise stores, building on a grocery business that opened under the brand in 2022.

Growth puts expansion on the agenda

Luizinho’s plans were outlined in a partner-content profile published by Supermarket & Retailer on 20 October 2026. The report also highlighted a second consecutive nomination for his store in the OK Foods category at the OK Franchisee Awards.

For now, the expansion remains an ambition rather than an announced rollout. Luizinho is already discussing expansion with the OK team, but the profile gives no confirmed opening dates or locations for additional stores. His stated aim is to deepen his relationship with the group through two or three more outlets.

The distinction matters for prospective franchisees following the story: three years of growth have prompted discussions about the next stage, rather than a commitment to a fixed opening programme. The profile does not quantify that growth, so it should not be read as a measure of turnover or profitability.

The repeat award nomination follows recognition in 2025, when the store received the “Master of Money Market” title for the KwaZulu-Natal region. Together, the nomination and expansion discussions mark the latest developments for an outlet now several years into its OK Franchise journey.

A shop-floor grounding in grocery retail

Luizinho brought substantial family exposure to grocery retail before opening the OK store. His family had a network of 12 stores across Durban, and his introduction to the business began with practical tasks rather than management responsibilities.

“From the age of six, I was pushing trolleys, packing shelves and eventually working the tills,” he recalled in the profile.

Opening an OK Franchise store in 2022 gave him a way to continue as an independent business owner while accessing the support of the Shoprite Group. His account places both sides of that arrangement in view: operational help from a larger organisation, alongside responsibility for maintaining the brand’s standards.

“Being part of the Shoprite Group is a big responsibility. It means living up to high standards and protecting the image of the OK brand, which has a long and proud heritage,” he said.

That background makes this a story of an experienced retail operator adopting a franchise model, rather than a first-time entrepreneur entering grocery retail without prior exposure.

Building the offer around Durban North customers

OK Foods Rinaldo Road serves an affluent customer base. Luizinho has shaped the store’s offering around those shoppers rather than positioning it solely on the lowest price.

“We’re not going to say we’re the cheapest,” he said. “We’re saying we’re offering the best quality, at the best price.”

The approach combines franchise support with room for local decisions. According to the profile, OK provides merchandising guidance, including strategic shelf and product placement and promotional displays. Luizinho also has flexibility to adapt the offering to the needs of his local community.

For South Africa’s franchise community, this is a concrete example of how a shared retail brand and a locally tailored proposition can sit alongside one another. The store’s positioning reflects its customer base, while the franchise relationship supplies guidance on how products are presented and promoted.

Support behind the next step

Beyond merchandising, Luizinho identified information technology, banking systems, logistics and access to a regional support team as benefits of the franchise relationship. “Their support is massive,” he said.

Those are the support arrangements available to his existing operation as he considers a larger footprint. The next milestone will be whether the current discussions develop into confirmed expansion plans.

Practical takeaway: Prospective franchisees should examine both the support a brand provides and the freedom available to serve local customers. Luizinho’s experience offers a useful example of that balance, while his additional-store ambitions remain plans rather than confirmed openings.