Cape Town brothers turn home kitchen into a gourmet burger empire
Brothers Mohamed and Achmat Isaacs turned a Friday night burger side hustle into IzzyBurger, a thriving four-store chain in Cape Town.
In 2016, Mohamed Isaacs, 37, and his brother Achmat, 31, began their culinary journey in a Cape Town home kitchen, transforming it into a gourmet burger empire known as IzzyBurger. Initially, Mohamed pursued a career in teaching, but after a decade of experience, he realized his true passion lay in food. This realization led him to experiment with ingredients and recipes to create the perfect gourmet beef burger.
In February 2016, the brothers launched the SingleIzzy and DoubleIzzy burgers, which became the cornerstone of their menu. Selling from home initially, they soon built a loyal customer base through word-of-mouth. After Mohamed's stint in Saudi Arabia, where he gained valuable insights into the burger business, the brothers opened their first IzzyBurger store in Wynberg.
Today, IzzyBurger boasts four locations: Wynberg, Goodwood, Woodstock, and Athlone, along with a central kitchen, head office, and its own distribution network. Mohamed and Achmat's complementary skills have been crucial to the brand's success, with Mohamed focusing on product, staff, customer experience, and daily operations, while Achmat handles finances, supply chains, and business systems.
The company's ultimate goal is to franchise the brand, ensuring the food and service maintain their exceptional quality as IzzyBurger expands into new communities and beyond Cape Town.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
